Blackpool 'neighbour from hell' played Billy Ocean's Red Lights anthem on loop

A man has been described as a ‘neighbour from hell’ for blasting music and building site sound effects from his stereo.

Former NHS worker Wayne Sivyer was given judge’s orders to behave when he appeared before District Judge Daniel Church sitting at Blackpool Magistrates Court.

Sivyer and his wife Dawn were handed CPNs (Community Protection Notices) in January this year after their next door neighbour Sarah Priestley took her noise complaints to court.

Police and council officers had been repeatedly called to their semi-detached homes in Dalby Close, Anchorsholme, to try and resolve the dispute between the neighbours.

This included Sivyer allegedly pointing a laser pen at his neighbour and her property while playing the dance song ‘Red Lights’ by Billy Ocean on repeat at high volume.

The court heard he played loud music continuously, as well ‘sound effects’ including building site noises and electronic ‘white sounds’. His neighbour also claimed he banged and tapped on adjoining walls during the night to disturb her sleep.

Sivyer denied all of his neighbours’ claims against him and appealed against his CPN, but this was dismissed by the judge when he appeared before Blackpool Magistrates.

He claimed Miss Priestley and her partner were ‘against him because he was Welsh’ and believed when the couple played the Tom Jones hit Delilah, it had been in reference to him.

He believed the line ‘I felt the knife in my hands and she laughed no more’ had been meant as a veiled threat to himself and his wife.

“We have no problem with anyone else on Dalby Place,” Sivyer told the court. “I am just disgusted with it all.”

But the judge accepted the evidence provided by Miss Priestley, as well as that given by police officer PC Thomas Williams and Blackpool community safety officer James Blackburn.

Giving evidence, Miss Priestley said: “This all started shortly after I moved in and he made comments about my curtain rails and he accused my then partner of touching his car.”

“The worst thing was his tape of crashing building noises which was on a loop which played all hours, day and night.

"It has been pure hell and it has affected my life and my work,” she added. “I have put a lot of effort into my house and I am not moving.”

The judge rejected Sivyer’s appeal but agreed to remove his wife Dawn Sivyer from the protection notice, citing a lack of evidence that she had carried out the anti-social acts described in court.

District Judge Daniel Church said the notice should last for five years and included a list of behaviour clauses which Sivyer must adhere to.

These include having no contact with his neighbours and being forbidden from contacting police and the local authorities unless in a genuine emergency.

*An earlier version of this story suggested Mr Sivyer had been accused of playing Dutch DJ Tiësto's Red Lights anthem on repeat. Mr Sivyer has asked the Blackpool Gazette to point out this was an error and it actual fact the song was Red Lights by Billy Ocean. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.