ENDLESS DOG NOISE LEFT US IN DESPAIR

Neighbours of convicted owners tell of years next to 'screaming' animals

- By EDWARD BARNES

AFTER years of gathering evidence, making notes of incidents every day, logging hundreds of recordings, and filling out thousands of sheets, Lorraine Heayns, her husband Barry, and two other neighbours helped Wirral Council take their Eastham neighbours to court.

Earlier this week, Stephen and Layla McGuigan were found guilty of breaching a noise abatement notice due to their 14 barking dogs. Liverpool Magistrates Court heard the dogs were "crying," "squealing", "going berserk" and "barking, screeching, even screaming".

The court fined them separately £300 for each offence, a £480 victim surcharge, and £2,000 in costs to the council, bringing the total to be paid by the couple to £7,360. Despite the court victory, Lorraine said she took "no joy" in it, but felt they had no other choice.

Speaking for the first time since the court's decision, the grandmother said she wanted to highlight the case as "I don’t think anybody should have to feel the way I felt" and praised the support from the council, singling out Eastham councillor Chris Carubia.