Noisy buskers in the Leicester -Square in London bring 'psychological torture' to nearby office workers, a judge has ruled.
Staff at Global Radio, the home of stations such as LBC, Heart FM and Classic FM, say that the racket is so bad because of their windows that they are forced to call in cupboards.
Simon Thomas, executive chairman of the Hippodrome Casino, said that he is frequently 'plagued' by noise, making him unable to work.
Westminster Council has now been commissioned to clamp on buskers who plays reinforced music on an endless loop.
The judge of the City of London court ruled: “Although the volume is the most important calamity, it is clear that the nuisance is exacerbated by the repetition and poor quality of some of the performances,” he said.
“As I noticed in the hearing, the use of repetitive sounds is a well -published characteristic of illegal but effective psychological torture techniques.”
Bosses at Global Radio launched the legal steps against Westminster Council because they were angry about noisy buskers outside their headquarters of Leicester Square. Shown: two buskers playing outside the offices
The world famous Leicester square has been a popular busking location for many years
The head office of Global Radio on Leicester Square (depicted on the right) is located in the corner of the square next to the TGI -Friday and opposite the TKTS stand. The office is between two buses sites
A busker performing on the other side of Leicester Square in June 2019
During an earlier hearing, the court heard that the council had not acted despite 'a long history of complaints'. Council employees said they were often unable to respond to complaints about specific buskers, because their offices were a 30 -minute walk.
Worldwide employees made recordings of the noise to their agencies, some of which were played in court, including the representation of Fast Car by Tracy Chapman and Somebody Like You by Adele.
Showbiz editor Charlotte Jacob said: 'It is incredibly distracting. Yesterday in the afternoon at the office I was unable to have a conversation with a colleague two agencies away, probably three meters maximum, because someone sang very hard Hallelujah. “
Michelle Gammon said that she was “surprised by how loud it was” and remembered “hearing the vocals in the toilet at the back of the building.”
Gareth Andrewartha said the sound was so bad that he had to dive into cupboards to escape.
Top law firm Mishcon de Reya for the legal challenge, taken under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, was supported worldwide, and was supported by the Hippodrome Casino and the nearby Chinese community center.
After the hearing, a spokesperson for the Westminster Council said: 'We understand the legitimate concerns that were created in this case.
'After this judgment, the Council will continue to look for a balance between minimizing nuisance to our residents and companies, while ensuring that artists can continue to add to the lively heritage of Straattertainment in Westminster that has been loved for decades.
“Our city inspectors and environmental health teams will continue to collaborate with the police to tackle noise complaints and continue to grab equipment or persecute when needed.”
Global is the largest commercial radio company in Europe. The presenters are Emma Bunton, Amanda Holden, Roman Kemp, Jordan North and Jamie Theeakston.
