What is Anti-Social Behaviour?

ASB, Crime & Policing Act 2014

Definition of language used:

• Harassment is aggressive pressure or intimidation of an individual. E.g., being verbally abused
• Alarm is anxious awareness of danger/ makes (someone) feel frightened, disturbed or in danger
• Distress is extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain / causing (someone) the feelings of anxiety, sorrow, or pain
• Nuisance is something or someone that annoys or causes trouble for someone
• Annoyance is the feeling of being slightly angry

Within the definition there is certain legal criteria we need to evidence and reach.

But what does this mean?

Anti-social behaviour covers many types of behaviour that vary in nature and severity, many of which are open to interpretation.

Each report is assessed to determine whether it is anti-social behaviour, by reviewing all available information. If it is not anti-social behaviour it will not be dealt with as such and the complainant will be advised of the reasons why.

We take reports of anti social behaviour seriously and will always consider the impact it has on victims and communities and tailor our response accordingly.  When investigated as anti-social behaviour, the action taken must be both reasonable and proportionate, taking into account all the facts of the complaint and the victim. There will often be difficult decisions to make at times, which may mean that the action taken is not considered adequate by the victim. However, the reasons why decisions have been made in all circumstances will be explained.

Issues that could constitute as anti-social behaviour include (this is by no means an exhaustive list);

• Intimidation and/or threatening behaviour
• Littering or Fly-tipping 
• Vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property or vehicles
• Using or dealing drugs
• Street drinking
• Rowdy behaviour in public
• Abandoned or burnt out cars
• Arson
• Neighbour nuisance

What isn't anti-social behaviour?

Some examples of behaviours which are NOT generally considered as anti-social behaviour include:

• Young people playing in parks and gardens (with no associated antisocial behaviour)
• Disagreements between members of individual households. For further information please visit the disputes with neighbours page
• Inconsiderate parking: please fine more information on our nuisance parking and abandoned vehicles pages
• Disputes over property and boundaries: you can get advice from the citizens advice bureau or consult a solicitor 
• Business activities associated with either commercial or private premises
• Private use of CCTV and Smart Doorbells e.g. Ring Doorbell

Anti-social behaviour is dealt with by a range of agencies including Local Authorities, Police, and Registered Social Landlords. The information on the pages in the Anti-Social Behaviour section will help you to identify the best agency to contact to help you to deal with the problem/s you are experiencing.

Partners in Lincolnshire are signed up to countywide procedures and a countywide strategy which outline the approach taken to address anti-social behaviour in the county. Copies of these document are available upon request. 

Sharing information

Agencies use a multi-agency case management system to record and respond effectively to reports received in relation to anti-social behaviour. Should you require any details about what information is shared, and who it is shared with please contact the agency directly. For more information on how we use your information please visit What we do with your data.

Our commitment and expectations

What we ask of you:

• Report the behaviour;
• Give details - to enable us to collate information of what is occurring, the persistence of the behaviour and the impact it is having;
• Keep a record of the behaviour - we will ask people affected by the behaviour to complete a diary, or possibly a written statement to evidence what they have experienced.

In return, we will:

• Record all complaints received, and will give advice;
• Remain in regular contact with you and offer support;
• Agree an action plan with you so that you are aware of action being taken and what is expected from you at each stage;
• Look at the facts and assess the type, extent and seriousness of the problem and decide what action is necessary and proportionate to help resolve it;
• We will consider a range of enforcement powers to enable us to deal with various types of ASB. These powers are incremental and usually start with a letter advising someone to cease their ASB. If these steps are not effective, action can ultimately be taken through the courts.

How you can contact us

If you are experiencing anti-social behaviour you can report this to Boston Borough Council in a number of ways (please note, all noise nuisance should be reported to Environmental Health in the first instance as per the Noise Pollution page).

Report Anti-Social Behaviour:

• Via our online reporting form
• By telephoning us on 01205 314200
• Via e-mail to the community safety team

Lincolnshire Police

If you want to report a non-urgent incident to Lincolnshire Police, you can call their non-emergency number 101, or complete an online reporting form on their website.

Vexatious Complaints

We have a policy in place to deal with complainants who we believe to be unreasonable, vexatious and/or untruthful. The policy outlines what will happen in the event that a complainant appears not to be telling the truth, motivated by malice, unreasonable or otherwise undeserving of support through enforcement action. For further details, or to request a copy of the policy please get in touch with the Community Safety Team via the telephone number or e-mail address in the section above.

Safer Lincolnshire Partnership

The Safer Lincolnshire Partnership is the single multi-agency forum for addressing community safety issues across Lincolnshire. For information on the Partnership, including its aims and objectives, current key priorities, and a list of agencies that form the partnership, please visit the Safer Lincolnshire Partnership webpage.