A man has been ordered to pay £340 in fines and costs after breaching the terms of a Community Protection Notice by continuing anti-social behaviour at a site in Burwell. 

Lawrence Heffer had earlier received a Community Protection Warning after reports from neighbours that noise and activities at his site were having a detrimental effect on their quality of life and that his conduct was unreasonable.  

Despite receiving the warning, Mr Heffer continued his anti-social behaviour and was issued with a Community Protection Notice requiring him to cease using power tools, operating a generator between the hours of 7pm and 7am, not to further develop the site or cut down trees or vegetation and to ensure that he and members of his household, including visitors, do not play amplified music or allow abusive or excessive shouting from the site.  

On 17 March 2025 Mr Heffer breached the Community Protection Order by playing loud music which continued into the early hours of the morning.  

East Cambridgeshire District Council issued him with a fixed penalty notice, requiring payment of £100 for the breach.  As the fixed penalty notice remained unpaid, the council had no option but to issue prosecution action for the breach.  

Mr Heffer appeared before Cambridge Magistrates Court on 3 February and pleaded guilty to breaching the Notice issued under s43 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

He was fined £100 for the offence, a victim surcharge of £40 and ordered to pay a contribution to the council’s costs of £200, making a total of £340. 

Commenting on the case, Councillor Julia Huffer who chairs the council's operational services committee, said: "We take all offences relating to anti-social behaviour extremely seriously, as this can have a detrimental effect on the quality of life of our residents.  

“We all have a duty to protect the quality of our residents’ lives and prevent harm to it.  We are pleased that the court has recognised the seriousness of this incident and applied a suitable sanction.”

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