Unlike the TV soap, most Britons do not know their neighbours well

One in five of 1,000 people questioned for a survey claimed they hated people living nearby, saying they had "neighbours from hell".

One in 20 admitted they did not know who their neighbours were, while one in six saw them only in passing.

Despite this, the study for Lloyds TSB Insurance found most people believed stronger local ties would cut crime.

Saying hello

Those surveyed blamed the pressures of work and family life for not getting to know people living around them.

The research showed 58% of people thought their neighbours were becoming less close.

Phil Loney, managing director of Lloyds TSB Insurance, said: "None of us will ever live on Ramsay Street but surprisingly few of us are willing to make the most of the neighbours we do have."

TIPS FROM NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH Make an effort to get to know your neighbours Ask them to keep an eye on your home when you go away If you trust them, give them a key to collect post and draw curtains in your absence Arrange for a local police officer to give a talk to residents Use alarms and security lighting considerately to avoid disturbing neighbours Look out for elderly neighbours at risk from bogus callers Contact the police if you see someone acting suspiciously Let Crimestoppers or the police know if you witness a crime

Psychologist Martin Lloyd Elliot said: "Even smiling at a stranger or saying hello to the postman seems to have become rare events, especially in big cities."

Home Secretary David Blunkett announced a raft of new measures to deal with nuisance neighbours earlier this year.

The Anti-Social Behaviour Act gives police and local authorities greater powers to act against so-called "neighbours from hell".

The National Neighbourhood Watch Association has said being "considerate" is the way to make good neighbours.

It has challenged people to do a good deed for those living nearby on Good Neighbour Day, Saturday 12 June.

How well do you know your neighbours? Would you go to them in an emergency?

Send us your comments below on the form below:

I live in East London and have always made a point of getting to know my neighbours. It's nice to be able to have a chat and feel you are a part of a friendly community. It makes the environment safer - you can watch out for anomalies if you know people are on holiday, and doing favours for each other, sharing home-grown veg, dropping round cards and gifts etc makes for a really pleasant place to live. It's worth having the confidence to step outside of the 'grouchy Londoner' stereotype.
Anna, London, England

I feel that a measure of balance is called for in your dealings with your neighbours. I always say hello when I see my neighbours and try to get on as well as possible, but not everyone has enough in common for genuine friendships to form. However, a small amount of consideration for others coupled with respect for people's differences could go a long way.
Dave, High Peak, UK

I have lived in my cul-de-sac for 10 years. I have never had a conversation with any of my neighbours. I always used to smile and say hello when I passed them in the road, most of the time they pretended they had not seen me. I thought it was me they disliked and I began to be miserable and wanted to move house. Then I realised that no one speaks to anyone in this area. Now I have given up and pretend I haven't noticed them if I pass them by. Isn't that sad?
Jane, UK

I have one neighbour who thinks its unreasonable to ask for the communal front door to be shut at night and another neighbour who keeps his motorbike parts in the communal hallway, covering everything with grease. This is a step up, however, from my previous neighbour who accused me of "stealing his soul" when I asked him to move his speakers off his floor as they were making my ceiling vibrate.
Lucy, UK

I moved out of London recently for a "better quality of life". I always had brilliant neighbours in London wherever I lived. I now have neighbours who are nasty, nosy and basically hate anyone that hasn't born and bred there.
Amanda, UK

When a new lady moved into my parents road she sent everybody in the street a Christmas card. My Mum was the only person to send one back and invite her for a cup of tea. Friendly neighbours huh!?
JP, London

I am "luckily" an owner-occupier in unfortunately a street that has become too expensive for normal people to buy into and thus is full of tenants and flat shares. This means people are always moving, have endless parties and really have no emotional attachment to the place they live in, due to the transience of their stay there. This makes for very bad neighbours. Luckily I live opposite a small group of council properties. Most Estate Agents would think that was a negative aspect but I am so pleased they are there. The people in those flats have been in there for 20 years plus, have children growing up there and say hello when you pass them by. However, I can't see the situation improving unless house prices come down so that normal people can again start to buy, instead of having to live 4/5 to a small two bedroom flat.
Kate, London

The day we moved into our flat our neighbours were having a BBQ and invited us along for something to eat and drink! We live in flats (30 flats) and admittedly there's only a handful of neighbours we talk to regularly but it's a start, we feed their cats, water plants when they're away and they do the same for us.
Kate , London, UK

The long British working hours makes people more stressed and less friendly Brenda, Bedford, UK

I am very lucky to live in a close where we all know each other. I believe it was because the properties were new and we all moved in at the same time. We have annual BBQs, regular girls' nights out and get-togethers. Unfortunately, with the current commuter culture, where people leave their hometowns and go and work in the cities, no one knows each other anymore. The commuting does not help and the long British working hours makes people more stressed and less friendly. It's a shame but the article is right, people want friendly neighbours but are not willing to make the effort themselves.
Brenda, Bedford, UK

The build quality of a lot of homes built since 1974 have poor sound insulation properties. There is detrimental to neighbour relations. I have had a neighbour in the past making 80 decibels into my living room just by the manner in which his front door was shut. The development where I live is called Cardboard City - the sound insulation of the homes is poor. Some people in the same street don't speak to each other is a typical result.
Chris B, Camberley, Surrey

Having lived in London for 5 years a while back and the remainder in a smallish town in Cheshire I can honestly say that the community spirit is one of the reasons I would never live in London ever again. I am sure that this isn't a North/South thing but a big city thing, although I am not entirely sure why. Maybe someone can explain it? People smile at you and even say 'hello' when they walk past you where I live, which is just too 'uncool' for London. This is, I believe, part of the problem.. people living in London think they are too 'cool' to have to do something so provincial as to acknowledge anyone else. I now wait for a barrage of abuse...
Steve Davies, Nantwich, Cheshire, UK

When we first moved into our house the neighbours were very welcoming. However, it became a nightmare as they would collar us for lengthy chats whenever they saw us which we did not always have time for. When we had some building work done that they didn't like but we had planning permission for they made our lives a misery for months and have now told anyone who will listen how awful we are. I would rather take my chance with the criminals if being friendly with your neighbours is the other option. Never again.
Anon, West Sussex

Moved up North six years ago looking for a better quality of life and what an amazing change Richard, UK

Moved up North six years ago looking for a better quality of life and what an amazing change. From barely being on nodding terms with our closest neighbours down South, I now live in a thriving community where the level of trust and mutual support is simply awesome. I'm not saying where we are exactly as I do not want those we were looking to escape following us. Grim up North, indeed - I believe that this is just a ruse to maintain the social standards up here.
Richard, UK

It's one thing being considerate but nice but in today's society those traits are highly regarded by predatory types who are either looking for a meal ticket or something more sinister. I try my best to be helpful but I find it makes me more of a target to life's undesirables rather than a shining example of how everyone should live. The world has changed for the worse I fear and a smile is more likely to make you a victim than a standard-bearer.
Fraser Irving, Sheffield, UK

Most of our neighbours a cool, we help each other and do things like water plants and feed pets. However, the neighbour to our right has chickens, not two or four but six, they are smelly and noisy and the fact that their owners feed them kitchen waste only make matter worse. However, what can you do, if you report them, there not happy and will make you life hell! If you try to talk to them about it, it is interfering in their business. So what do you do!
Tony, Northampton

As I've only got one set of neighbours - as the house at the other side of me is empty - I can quite honestly say not in a million years would I trust them to look after my house while I was away. Why? Easy. They are one of the worst neighbours in the street and their house stinks to high heaven. God knows how they've managed to bring up three girls in that squalor. I think Kim and Aggie would have a dicky fit if they saw the state of the place!
The neighbours across the road are a different kettle of fish. Really nice, always having a natter. However a couple who lived several doors up from us, but moved away, are now moving back into the street as they miss the rest of us so much!
Anon, UK

The investment in community spirit makes all feel good Darren Yates, Basingstoke, England

Just do what I have done in my road and get to know your neighbours by talking to them. Yes I appreciate that we all live increasingly busy lives with families and work. But the investment in community spirit makes all feel good. You also get a caring community where we all watch out for each other. Your neighbours are not very different to you really. If I can organise it we plan to have a street BBQ this summer to give everyone am opportunity to get to know each other.
Darren Yates, Basingstoke, England

We are acquainted with most of our neighbours in our street and we always send them cards at Christmas. We always say hello to our next door neighbours and often stop to chat if we are outside at the same time as them. I wouldn't say we know them well enough to give them a key to our house but they always water our plants out the front and keep an eye on our house when we are on holiday.
Natalie, UK

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