Audio equipment seized from Leicester bar

Officers from Leicester City Council have seized sound equipment from a Leicester bar after residents complained about “very loud” music coming from the premises.

The City Council’s noise and pollution control team confiscated the equipment from MAMBA Café & Bar in Market Street on Tuesday (24 October), following repeated complaints from neighbours about loud bassy music at the venue.

The Council first received complaints about noise from the bar in September 2017. Residents living nearby had contacted the noise and pollution control team about unacceptable noise from amplified music and loud bass, which was making it difficult for them to sleep.

Within a one-month period, the Council’s noise and pollution control team witnessed four noise nuisances from the premises, and wrote to the bar’s premises licence holder three times about the noise. These warnings were not heeded and a further noise nuisance was witnessed after midnight on Sunday 15 October 2017.

As a result, Leicester Magistrates Court granted the noise and pollution control team a warrant to enter the club and remove noise-making equipment.

In total, more than 20 items of sound equipment have been seized, including mixing desks, amps and speakers.

MAMBA can claim the sound equipment back a month after the seizure but will have to pay the costs incurred, which will be over £1,000.

Further reports of noise nuisance could mean further seizures of equipment and the likelihood of the person responsible for the club being prosecuted, which – if successful – carries an unlimited fine.

Leicester City Council’s noise and pollution control team manager, Robin Marston, said: “Venues like this have a responsibility to be considerate to neighbouring properties, but in this instance noise from MAMBA has caused serious ongoing problems.

“The seizure of their equipment was necessary because they failed to respond to any of our previous attempts to resolve the problem.”