THERE were serious repercussions for a Gwent musician who continued to play his drums after his neighbours had complained to the council about the loud noise.

The local authority beat James Andrew Gibbs Jones, 28, after he drove residents up the wall in Tillery Street, Abertillery.

It was music to the ears of his neighbours when Blaenau Gwent council secured an entry warrant from a court and seized and destroyed his drum kit.

Newport Magistrates’ Court heard Gibbs was deprived of a bass drum and pedal, three tom-tom drums, a snare drum and stand, five cymbals and a seat.

He pleaded guilty to failing to comply with an abatement notice issued by environmental health officers on or around April Fools’ Day last year.

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Gibbs, now of Nant y Bwch, Waundeg, Tredegar, was also ordered to pay £404 in a fine, costs and a surcharge.

Following the hearing, a Blaenau Gwent council spokesperson said: “Mr Gibbs was a resident in Tillery Street, Abertillery, who was regularly witnessed playing a drum kit in his living room.

“Following complaints about the unreasonable noise levels from residents in the area the authority tried unsuccessfully to engage with Mr Gibbs on a number of occasions regarding the issue and having been satisfied that the noise levels produced were a statutory nuisance, the authority served an abatement notice on Mr Gibbs in March 2021, which he subsequently breached on a number of occasions.

“This resulted in the authority securing a warrant of entry from the magistrates’ court to seize Mr Gibbs drum kit and we executed the warrant on the May 12, 2021.”

The spokesperson added: “Mr Gibbs was then subsequently successfully prosecuted on February 11, 2022 for the breach of the abatement notice and at that hearing.

“Mr Gibbs pleaded guilty. The district judge confirmed a deprivation order for the drum kit so that the local authority could retain and dispose of it.”