Noisy buskers in London’s Leicester Square inflict ‘psychological torture’ on nearby office workers, a judge has ruled.
Staff at Global Radio, home to stations including LBC, Heart FM and Classic FM, say the racket through their windows is so bad they are forced to make phone calls in cupboards.
Simon Thomas, executive chairman of the Hippodrome Casino, said he is ‘plagued’ by noise on a frequent basis which leaves him unable to work.
Westminster council has now been ordered to clamp down on buskers playing amplified music on an endless loop.
The judge at City of London magistrates court ruled: ‘While the volume is the principal mischief, it is clear that the nuisance is exacerbated by the repetition and poor quality of some of the performances,’ he said.
‘As I observed in the hearing, the use of repetitive sounds is a well-publicised feature of unlawful but effective psychological torture techniques.’
Bosses at Global Radio launched the legal action against Westminster Council because they were angry about noisy buskers outside their Leicester Square HQ. Pictured: Two buskers playing outside the offices
The world-famous Leicester Square has been a popular busking location for many years
Global Radio’s HQ in Leicester Square (pictured right) is located in the corner of the square next door to TGI Fridays and opposite the TKTS booth. The office is between two busker pitch sites
A busker performing at the other end of Leicester Square in June 2019
During an earlier hearing, the court heard the council had failed to act despite ‘a long history of complaints’. Council employees said they were often unable to respond to complaints about specific buskers as their offices were a 30-minute walk away.
Global employees made recordings of the noise at their desks, some of which were played in court, including renditions of Fast Car by Tracy Chapman and Someone Like You by Adele.
Showbiz editor Charlotte Jacob said: ‘It’s incredibly distracting. Yesterday in the office in the afternoon I was not able to conduct a conversation with a colleague two desks away, probably three metres max, as someone was singing Hallelujah very loudly.’
Michelle Gammon said she was ‘astonished by how loud it was’ and recalled ‘hearing the vocals in the loo at the back of the building’.
Gareth Andrewartha said the noise was so bad he had to duck into cupboards to escape it.
Global hired top law firm Mishcon de Reya for the legal challenge, taken under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and was backed by the Hippodrome Casino and the nearby Chinese Community Centre.
After the hearing, a Westminster council spokesman said: ‘We understand the legitimate concerns raised in this case.
‘Following this judgment the council will continue seeking a balance between minimising nuisance to our residents and businesses whilst ensuring performers can continue to add to the vibrant heritage of street entertainment in Westminster that has been loved by many for decades.
‘Our city inspectors and environmental health teams will continue to partner with the police to address noise complaints and will continue to seize equipment or prosecute individuals when necessary.’
Global is Europe’s largest commercial radio company. Its presenters include Emma Bunton, Amanda Holden, Roman Kemp, Jordan North, and Jamie Theakston.
