EXCLUSIVE: Neighbours on a street in a sleepy town are struggling to… sleep.
Eston: Late-night prayers disturbing neighbours in Yorkshire town
A man reciting prayers loudly late at night is keeping angry neighbours awake in an otherwise sleepy UK town. Some locals aren’t sleeping thanks to the sound of their neighbour’s enthusiastic worship travelling from his open window across South Street in Eston, North Yorkshire.
Paul Salvin, 44, told the Daily Express: “This probably started with the warmer weather. Most nights he’s doing this. I don’t care about him praying, but he’s doing it at 11 o’clock at night. Some of the things we’ve heard being shouted back are not great and as a local councillor I’m just worried tensions might rise when they don’t need to.”
Some neighbours in South Street, Eston, are being kept up at night by a man’s enthusiastic prayers (Image: Reach Plc/Mieka Smiles)
The Conservative councillor has raised a complaint with Redcar and Cleveland Council about the “noise”.
Mr Salvin said: “My wife heard someone shouting obscenities. We’ve no issue with him praying, but with children in college and school early morning, just do it with the window shut so we can go to sleep.”
He estimated that the worshipper can be heard four or five nights a week. In video shared with the Express the sound of a man appearing to recite religious verses from behind an open window can be heard in the dead of night.
When the Daily Express visited the man’s house on Wednesday (August 12) to put the accusation to him there was no answer at the door.
Another neighbour said she didn’t mind. The woman, who didn’t want to be named, said: “It doesn’t bother me.”
But Mr Salvin said: “The last thing you need at night is this when you just want to sleep. He’s entitled to pray, but shut your window. We don’t all need to hear it.”
There is no official guidance on how loudly people can express their faith. It is a human right to be able to practise a religion or belief without hindrance.
Under freedom of religious belief principles, people can express their beliefs alone or with others, either in public or private.
A spokesman for Redcar and Cleveland Council confirmed it was aware of an issue about an alleged late noise disturbing residents in Eston.
He added: “No official complaint from a resident has yet been made. All noise complaints are treated the same and should a complaint be received, it will be investigated following usual procedures.”
It has not been possible to put the claims to the neighbour.