Lincolnshire residents urged to report neighbours' cannabis fumes

The scheme in Lincolnshire is thought to be the first in the country, the council says

People being plagued by nuisance smells caused by neighbours smoking illicit substances such as cannabis are being urged to report it.

A new scheme to deal with complaints about unpleasant and persistent odours has been launched by Lincolnshire County Council.

The initiative was aimed at tackling an issue that can ruin the quality of life of those affected, officials said.

The scheme was the first of its kind in the country, the authority claimed.

Lincolnshire County Council said environmental laws allowed local authorities to investigate nuisance odours related to industrial, trade or business premises.

However, those powers did not extend to residential properties, it said.

'Keep a record'

Zoe Walters, from the Safer Lincolnshire Partnership, said: "Persistent unpleasant smells can have a negative impact on residents' day-to-day lives."

The introduction of what was called the Lincolnshire Noxious Odours Procedure would encourage people to report nuisance odours from a residential property to their district council or housing association, Ms Walters said.

"Those affected will need to keep a record of what they can smell, for how long and at what time of day.

"The district council or housing association will then use this information to determine if there is any pattern to the problem, and then seek to find the cause and resolve the issue," she said.

Assistance and support would also be offered to perpetrators before more formal proceedings were taken to protect those in a vulnerable position, according to Lincolnshire County Council.