The things that drive us mad

Noisy neighbours, uncollected litter and graffiti are among the things that really annoy us, according to a new survey.

The findings emerge in a Mori poll of more than 2,000 residents in two London boroughs - Greenwich and Lewisham - and in Dundee and Newcastle.

The Government-commissioned survey revealed that other issues, such as dog mess and abandoned vehicles, also cause so much angst that that they can affect our quality of life.

Designed to measure how people respond to noise, the survey also established the extent to which we are troubled by other anti-social problems.

While almost one in three people said noisy neighbours were a problem, they placed it eighth on a list of what troubled them most.

They were more than twice as concerned about litter and rubbish - the main problem to affect their quality of life. They said noise was a problem of a similar scale to abandoned cars, street drinking and drug abuse.

However, the effect of noisy neighbours ranked much more highly among residents already dissatisfied with their home - jumping to second place.

It is also the second biggest quality-of-life issue among residents in medium- or high-rise flats.

The study - carried out for the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - found that loud music, shouting and banging attracted far more complaints than noisy parties. As many as two in five people annoyed by noise have complained to their council or the police - while one in four have complained directly to neighbours.

The survey finds that people are able to develop "immunity" to traffic and trains while neighbourhood noise is synonymous with "a lack of consideration".

Environment Minister Lord Whitty said tackling noise pollution was a Government priority.