Police helicopter noise blights our lives, say West End residents
West End residents say their lives are being blighted by the near constant drone of police helicopters.
They claim the use of the Met Air Support Unit had now reached intolerable levels and that it is being used as a matter of course for trivial reasons of "dubious operational necessity". The residents have written to the Metropolitan Police Authority to complain about the noise and are asking for it to establish rules for the use of helicopters over London.
Roger England, 60, an international health consultant, told the Standard: "Of course when you live in a city you expect noise from traffic and living in Covent Garden you know there will be noise from revellers on Friday and Saturday nights. But this is a new addition to that noise and it is growing exponentially."
He said that as well as being deployed for minor crimes, the air unit was being used to monitor events such as the Harry Potter premiere in Leicester Square and the Gay Pride street festival in Trafalgar Square.
In a response to one complaint, Sergeant Terry White said the Met did take into account the environmental impact when using the ASU which he said "ensures that all deployments are proportionate and necessary".
