Sound 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.

The City Council’s noise and pollution control team confiscated the equipment from Sumo in Braunstone Gate, on Wednesday, September 20, following repeated complaints from neighbours about loud bassy music from the venue.

The Council first received complaints about noise from the bar in 2011. Residents living nearby had contacted the noise and pollution control team about unacceptable noise from amplified music and voices from Sumo, which was making it difficult for them sleep.

Since May 2016, six noise nuisances have been witnessed from loud music late at night and in the early hours.

Officers who witnessed the problem had written to the bar’s premises licence holder five times since May 2016 about the noise from Sumo. These warnings were not heeded and a further noise nuisance was witnessed around midnight on Saturday, August 26, 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.

The seizure was carried out with the help of Leicestershire Police.

In total they seized over 50 items of sound equipment including mixing desks, amps and in excess of 20 speakers.

Sumo can claim the speakers back a month after the seizure but will have to pay the costs incurred during the seizure, which could 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, Annette Bryan, said: “Venues like this have a responsibility to be considerate to neighbouring properties, but in this instance noise from Sumo has caused ongoing problems.

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