
An alarm sounding for five days in a part of Penrith has been driving neighbours to distraction.
The beeping was first heard on Thursday and has been going night and day ever since and throughout the weekend, said a resident.
It had originally sounded like a distant external burglar alarm coming from the Barco Avenue area, said a householder who lives nearby.
But following investigations today including a ladder to determine the direction of the noise, they managed to establish it is an internal alarm confined to a nearby property which is not permanently occupied.
The concern is that due to the time of year, the householder could be away for some time with residents unclear what to do.
“If you were a neighbour in your garden or trying to watch the Commonwealth Games…what actually can you do?” the resident asked.
Eden District Council advises that people are responsible for alarms if they accidentally sound continuously for more than 20 minutes, intermittently for more than an hour, or is judged to be causing annoyance.
It suggests that if it cannot gain access to a property, it would a serve a “noise abatement notice” and obtain a warrant from a magistrate to enter the property and silence the alarm.
Any costs can be invoiced to the property owner with Eden saying it could amount to hundreds of pounds.
People wishing to report alarms can complete a form to Eden District Council’s environmental protection team at https://tinyurl.com/mtjx7abe