Many noise disputes involve the playing of loud music

Perth and Kinross Council said its new anti-social noise service had amicably resolved the majority of the 1,300 complaints it had received since July.

In that time, only three fixed penalty notices of �100 were issued.

Community safety convener, councillor Alistair Barr, said: "Mediation is proving to be an effective way of solving neighbourly noise disputes."

Warning notices

The council's anti-social noise team initially offers advice to both parties involved in a dispute and if necessary their landlords, both private and social.

If the advice to the person making the noise is ignored, powers are available to issue warning notices and fixed penalty notices of �100.

The council has received funding from the Scottish Executive for the new service which will allow it to run initially until March 2008.

The council has received 1,300 complaints since July but since the introduction of its anti-social noise service has issued only three fixed penalty notices of �100 have been issued out of 1,300 complaints since

The majority of the complaints have been resolved amicably.

Community safety convener councillor Alistair Barr said: "The service has proved to be a great success, with mediation proving to be an effective way of resolving neighbourly disputes over noise."