DARTMOUTH campaigner Teddy Cranmer has written to MP Anthony Mangnall following last week’s Dartmouth Chronicle front page on the town council considering a by-law to contain noisy buskers.

In his letter he asked Mr Magnall to speak to the Home Office and see if the new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 could be implemented to get Dartmouth’s noisy buskers to turn the volume down in Royal Avenue Gardens.

He stated: “As you know we have had a long standing and on-going problem of excessive amplified music here in Dartmouth. However, it appears the police may now intervene in cases of public nuisance as the result of this act, whereas previously this problem could only be dealt with by local councils under common law. The Police Act 2022 (Section 59, Public nuisance at 2(c)) seems to indicate a change. I notice The Met acted very swiftly under this new act and seized equipment from Mr Amplified Bray of College Green fame!

“I hope by judicious use of this new Act we may finally solve this problem of excessive amplified music which, from my research, appears to be a countrywide problem.”

Two years ago, Teddy set up a group SOAP - Stop Overloud Amplified Performances - with more than 40 members in the lower part of town.

He said: “Each summer when the sun shone, our lives were blighted by this constant overloud amplified music. People were having to close windows, couldn’t use their gardens or the Royal Avenue Gardens and it was beginning to have an effect on mental health in some cases.

“It could be heard quite clearly in Kingswear across the river and, because of the bowl-like shape of the town, it could be heard from Mount Boone to the allotments in Southtown and had become a great annoyance.

“We tried constantly to get both Dartmouth Town and South Hams Councils to take action, but to no avail - because this type of public nuisance could only be dealt with under common law.”

Teddy said because it was a council matter the police could take no action. He thinks the new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in the Queen’s speech in April could be the answer.

He added: “I’ve been watching it carefully for some while during its passage through the House of Commons as it seems the police might be able to deal with the matter under that section of the Act dealing with public nuisance. The fellow with his amplified megaphone on College Green outside Parliament was stopped by The Met who seized his equipment under that section of the Act dealing with public nuisance.

“Although these matters always take some time to filter down through the system, I hope we can get Devon and Cornwall Police to take up the cudgels on our behalf and put a stop to this problem once and for all. Dartmouth Town Council has a sensible guide for the activities of these buskers which is fair and reasonable to all and I’m sure a quiet word in the right ear would do the trick

“We do not object in any way to busking, as we think it enhances the street scene in any town, but excessive noise needs to be controlled. It isn’t just Dartmouth but many towns have the same problem. Perhaps this will be a way of fixing it!”