ANTI-noise campaigners yesterday urged all travellers to complain when
annoyed by the sound of personal stereos after a student was fined for
''interfering with the comfort'' of other rail passengers.
The Right to Peace and Quiet Campaign said the Government should even
consider giving transport police the power to impose on-the-spot fines.
Campaign founder Valerie Gibson was speaking after economics student
Andrew Dunn was fined #200 by York magistrates, with #100 costs, after
being convicted of interfering with the comfort of others.
The court was told that the noise of songs by The Beautiful South from
Dunn's earphones proved too much for other travellers on a York-to-Leeds
train.
They complained and a transport policewoman was called, but Dunn still
refused to turn down the volume.
Dunn, 21, of Thirsk, Yorkshire, denied annoying other travellers and
described his fine as ''appalling''.
Ms Gibson, 43, said: ''A lot of people are annoyed by the noise of
these stereos but are too intimidated to complain. There is a by-law
that the transport police can invoke -- although this is the first time
I have heard of it being used like this.''
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