Barking dogs and loud music were the biggest noise nuisances for homeowners in East Cambs last year as complaints rose sharply.

East Cambridgeshire District Council’s environmental health team received 54 complaints about loud music last year along with 53 complaints about barking dogs.

In total, the authority received 263 noise complaints – up by almost 22 per cent from last year when officers received only 216 and by 32 per cent from 2011/12 when 199 complaints were received.

Though barking and music have consistently topped the polls in recent years, the district council has also seen a surge in complaints about noisy television and radios as well as from mobile machinery, including industrial diggers and tractors.

In 2011/12 there were just three complaints about televisions but, by 2013/14, that had risen to 11 and mobile machinery saw an increase from seven cases in 2011/12 to 25 last year.

The data was brought to light under a Freedom of Information Act request.

The council also received three complaints about the noise from church bells, seven complaints about DIY and a single complaints about noisy fireworks.