A VOLUNTARY mediation service is being set up to help people battling against neighbours from hell to resolve their disputes without involving courts and the police.

In the first scheme of its kind in East Lancashire, volunteers in Burnley are being recruited to act as referees and remove the link with the authorities.

The aim is to create an impartial service.

A steering group from Burnley Council, Police, Council for Voluntary Service and other bodies now needs volunteers to set up the service, help pick a full time mediation co-ordinator and then to be trained as mediators.

Ian Clark of the housing management service unit at Burnley Council said incidents of neighbour disputes, nuisance and complaints had increased in profile in all sections of the community in recent years.

Many factors influenced problems or conflicts and on occasions neighbours found it difficult to even speak to each other to try to get matters sorted out. "Often neighbours may not even know each others' name and the old saying 'six of one and half a dozen of the other' springs to mind in many of these conflicts.''

They often lead to anger, anxiety, illness, stress and in rare cases violence.

People will be seen at home or on neutral ground. The others involved will also be seen.

If necessary, all three parties will get together to thrash out a solution to their mutual satisfaction. Agreements will not be legally binding but experience in nearby Bolton has indicated that 70 per cent of cases are successfully resolved.

Mr Clark said the idea was for people to resolve problems themselves without council officials, police or other statutory bodies getting involved.

Mediation in Burnley needs volunteers to be a success.

The next meeting of the steering group will be at Burnley Town Hall at 1.30pm on March 12.

Potential volunteers are welcome to attend or to contact Mr Clark at the housing office Parker Lane, Burnley, 01282 425011 or Ben Aspinall of the Council for Voluntary Service, Manchester Road, Burnley, 01282 455771.

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