The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about how the Council handled her behaviour and her complaints about her neighbours’ anti-social behaviour. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault.
The complaint
Mrs X complained to the Council about her neighbour’s anti-social behaviour. She says the Council sent her a warning about her behaviour without any evidence. She would like the Council to acknowledge she has not done anything wrong.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B)).
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Mrs X complains about a Community Protection Warning issued in 2022. We will not consider this matter again. The Council has evidenced continued anti-social behaviour by Mrs X in 2023 and 2024. The Council have investigated Mrs X’s complaints about her neighbours and found no evidence of anti-social behaviour.
Final decision
We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault in the actions the Council has taken. The Council has acted in line with relevant guidance and legislation.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman