An Accrington bus company failed to comply with an abatement notice served after complaints from a single neighbour about the noise of buses warming up in the morning.

Blackburn magistrates heard steps had now been taken by Pilkingtons to alleviate the situation.

And fining the company the chairman of the magistrates said they had taken into account that the company had never come to the attention of the courts in over 50 years of operating in the town, that there was only one complainant and the actions taken, at considerable expense, to prevent the problems.

Alan Pilkington, managing director of the company, entered guilty pleas to three charges of contravening the abatement notice. The company was fined £650 and ordered to pay £300 costs and £65 victim surcharge.

Gordon Mcmillan, prosecuting for Hyndburn Borough Council, said complaints about the noise of buses being started early in the morning and left running came from David McDonald whose home overlooked the Argyle Street depot. As a result an abatement notice which meant buses could not run for more than five minutes, unless manoeuvering or leaving the site before 7 am or after 6 pm.

"Mr McDonald said the buses were preventing him and his family from sleeping, causing windows to vibrate and preventing them from ventilating their home because of the fumes," said Mr Mcmillan.

He said environmental officer Phillip Livesey made sound measurements at the depot and concluded they amounted to a statutory nuisance.

"More recently Mr Livesey and representatives f the company have been in discussions about how the problem can be tackled," said Mr Mcmillan.

Richard Prew, defending, said the discussions had resulted in numerous changes at the depot all aimed at improving the situation. He said buses that were due to set off early were now parked in a seperate part of the yard so the essential warming up could be carried out without disturbance to neighbours. Lights had been installed so cleaning of the buses ready not the next day did not require the engines to be running so the internal lights could be kept on.

"They want to cooperate and they want to live in harmony with the neighbours," said Mr Prew. "It is not everyone who has an issue but the company has done and is doing everything it can to alleviate the problem."