Over the festive season most of us settled down at home and enjoyed a few days off with the family.
But a bit of peace and quiet has never been on the cards for Michael Smith* who says his family have been plagued by anti-social behaviour for years. Reporter Kathryn Cain finds out about their experience and the charity that offered them a lifeline.
Michael, 38, and his family who live in Bedford say their life has been made hell after bearing the brunt of nuisance neighbours.
Recalling some of the worst incidents they’ve witnessed, he said: “We constantly have the police out giving the perpetrator warnings and sometimes they even have to break down the door because they have locked themselves out again.” After the problems became too much, Michael, who works at the University of Bedfordshire, finally decided to ask for help which he found in the form of charity Victim Support.
Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association (BPHA) suggested he contact the charity which is currently conducting research across England and Wales into victim and witnesses’ experience of crime.
The national project, which began in June, will produce a report in May and present it to the incoming Police and Crime Commissioners which will be elected in November this year.
As a victim of persistent antisocial behaviour, father-of-two Michael welcomes the research which he hopes will make an impact on the support people in his situation receive.
He said: “Unless it happens to you, you don’t realise how bad this kind of thing can be.
When it just goes on and on and you can’t get away from it, it gets under your skin and affects your whole life. The police and the council should have greater powers to tackle the problems quicker than they do now.
Sometimes it seems like everything is in favour of the offender and not the victim.
“If you have an anti-social resident living near you, you have to keep a diary of what they do for months before anything can be done, I understand why you must have evidence but it seems like the balance is not right.” Many victims feel that warnings from the police aren’t enough to get through to the people who cause distress to others because they know they will not be punished for years.
Another victim who feels that way is 27-year-old Kayleigh Moore* from Kempston.
For more than two-and-a-half years, her family have been victims of criminal damage and assault.
On one occasion her car was written off and objects were thrown at thewindows of her house. Kayleigh, who is now her father’s full-time carer, claims the violence and abuse went on for so long, her family was forced to move out in May this year.
She said: “Victim Support has been great.
“It was just nice to be able to talk to someone about what had happened.
“We didn’t get an awful lot of help from the police and ultimately we want to see police and other services taking victims more seriously and make them feel they are being heard.”
David Padgett, divisional manager for Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire’s Victim Support, said: “It’s important that the justice system and public bodies learn from both the positive and negative experiences that victims and witnesses of crime have.”
Victims’ Services Advocate - part of Victim Support - in Bedfordshire is looking for victims and witnesses of antisocial behaviour, domestic abuse, sexual assault and hate crime to take part in local focus groups or individual interviews.
“Victims must have experienced the crime within the last two years and not currently be involved in criminal justice proceedings or a court case relating to the crime.” * We have changed the name of the victims for their protection.
