SCOTS are Britain’s noisiest neighbours, according to a new survey that reveals one in 10 of us is regularly driven to distraction by banging and crashing next door.

People in Scotland are twice as likely to suffer at the hands of noisy neighbours than the English and Welsh, only 6% and 4% of whom complained about excessive noise.

Shouting is the biggest headache for Scots, according to the survey commissioned to mark Noise Action Week, which aims to encourage householders to talk to each other about noise problems.

Most people in Britain claim the worst noise is children crying; however, in Scotland, arguments, raised voices, and footsteps on bare floorboards are considered a greater nuisance.

One in seven Scots say they are regularly disturbed by the sound of their neighbours’ footsteps, compared with just 6% in England and 4% in Wales.

Noisy pubs and clubs are also a problem in Scotland, according to the poll of 2000 people, with 15% saying they are regularly troubled by loud music in their neighbourhoods.

Noisy smokers who gather outside pubs in the wake of the ban on smoking in public places are also cited as a nuisance.

Barking dogs, loud music from stereos and televisions, late night DIY and burglar alarms are some of the other annoyances highlighted by the survey.

“In cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow we have a unique situation with tenement living, which makes neighbourhood noise a major issue,” said Christine Schoeck, of the Edinburgh Community Mediation Service, which claims around half its cases are connected to noisy neighbours.

“Laminate flooring is the main culprit. There is a case for legislation saying that you must have carpets if you live above someone.”

Carolyn Vannan, Scottish policy officer of the National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection, which published the poll, said that while Scots were noisier than their counterparts elsewhere in the UK, they were less likely to complain.

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