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MISCELLANEOUS
Noise Nuisance
Twenty complaints of factory noise were received during the year. Twelve were
remedied. One was not confirmed. Seven still remained unabated at the end of the year.
Byelaws of Good Rule and Government give control of noisy animals. In 1960 a
new Act for the control of noise became law—this was "The Noise Abatement Act, 1960".
As the number of complaints brought was five times as great as in 1960, it seems that at
least the Act has made the public more noise conscious. The complaints varied from the
over-loud playing of a juke box to an industrial noise coming from premises in a neighbouring
Borough.
Rodent Control
The following table gives details of work carried out in accordance with the policy
of the Council, as outlined in previous reports.
Total notifications of Rats and Mice Confirmed Non-Confirmed
182 182 —
Business and Industrial 13 premises treated
Domestic 169 „ „
Rats found and cleared in 107 „
Mice ,, ,, ,, ,, 75 ,,
Total number of visits in 1961—1,102.
Sewers
Total number of manholes baited 52
Number of poison takes 9
No takes 43
Some improvement in the figures for rat infestation is shown in the 1961 figures for
sewer infestation if the percentage of takes is to be taken as an index. But rats and mice
will never cease to be a public health problem so long as the dirty habits of throwing about
food remains and wrappings, in streets and houses, and the spilling of food material about
and inside factories continues.
Pet Animals Act, 1951
Six establishments were licensed during the year. The number of animals kept in
each case was small and conditions have remained satisfactory.
Administration of the Shops Acts
Routine visiting of shops in connection with the Shops Acts Regulations continued.
River Pollution
Inspection of the rivers and canal of Southall during the year did not give evidence of
any individual site of pollution in Southall on which action could be taken.
Sampling of river water from the Brent at various stations in the County is carried
out several times a year by officers of the Middlesex County Council.
No premises were found during 1961 to be discharging poluting effluent into the river
or canal.
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