A massive rise in complaints about noise nuisance has been seen across the county.

Mediation services, which help to resolve disputes between neighbours, have seen a leap in the number of people seeking help.

The Brighton and Hove Independent Mediation Service (BHIMS) says the number of people seeking help had risen 30% in the past year, with 86 cases reported so far this year.

The city council said it received 3,381 noise complaints in the last financial year, of which 2,435 related to domestic cases including noisy neighbours.

The authority said it is seeing more complaints relating to stag and hen party houses and said more powerful TVs and music equipment, and more student houses in the city was making the problem worse.

The West Sussex Mediation Service (WSMS) saw the number of cases increase by 23% in the past year.

Nick Hadley, service coordinator at WSMS, said: “The stress from noise nuisance affects one in ten homeowners, but many noise problems can be resolved by just being more considerate to your neighbours.”

The problem is so bad that 83% of people seeking help from BHIMS said that rowing with their neighbours over noise was damaging their health.

Jen Warren, from BHIMS, said: “Clients report feeling stressed and anxious, dread the prospect of coming home and working relationships become affected.

“As one client said, ‘Eventually depression got the better of me and I was prescribed anti-depressants by my doctor’.”

National helpline

The Noise Abatement Society, based in Brunswick Terrace, Hove, which runs a national helpline for people suffering from noisy neighbours, said the number of complaints they had received had increased by almost half in the past year.

Spokeswoman Lisa Lavia said: “We see a rise of about 30% to 50% year on year.

“We keep getting more and more calls.

“The people who come to us are often pretty desperate.

“Families are living in closer proximities than they used to. In cities like Brighton and Hove there are more families and children living much closer together.

“It is a form of pollution just like littering. If I go out in my garden and clear up I would keep the rubbish on my side of the fence not throw it in my neighbour’s garden. Noise is the same.

“Part of the problem is people want to lead their lives. They think I’m going to have a party or mow my lawn. The background noise levels are rising and then it gets increasingly worse.

“But it is something that could be solved by taking responsibility and being a bit more considerate to your neighbours.”

The society has been working on a sound map to pinpoint the worst affected areas for noise pollution in the city.

Experts are currently analysing the data which is expected to be published next month.

A spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: “Last financial year we carried out 17 prosecutions of which seven included seizure of noise making equipment, with 80% of evidence gathered on our out of hours noise patrol service which operates on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the year.

“We always advise people to first speak to their neighbour as sometimes people don’t realise they are causing a noise problem.”