Royal Hillsborough Protestant Boys make public appeal for 'ghost Lambeg drum' after warning letter from Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council
A Hillsborough flute band has expressed bewilderment after getting a warning letter from the council for the disturbance caused by their Lambeg drum - as they don't own one.
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council recently wrote a formal letter to Royal Hillsborough Protestant Boys warning them that their Lambeg drum is creating "a noise nuisance".
But a bewildered spokesman for the flute band - based on the Ballynahinch Road, made a tongue-in-cheek appeal for anyone who might see "a ghost drum" around the town to contact them.
According to the band spokesman the largest drum they have is a bass drum which he said is about a third the size of a Lambeg.
"It certainly isn’t anywhere nearly as loud as a Lambeg drum."
In 50 years operating in the village this is the first complaint they have ever had.
The council letter said that "a complaint has been received by this Department from a nearby resident alleging that Lambeg Drum practice is creating a noise nuisance".
"The complainant alleges that once or twice a week, up to three hours at a time, the volume created by the Lambeg Drum practice is causing material disturbance within their property.
"We would appreciate that noise of this nature can be a source of considerable annoyance."
The council letter emphasised that no formal investigation will begin unless the complainant submits formal evidence of the noise.
If a nuisance is proven, the council has a legal duty to serve a Noise Abatement Notice, it added.
A band spokesman said: "We just couldn't believe it when we read the letter. We don't even have a Lambeg drum.
"All I can say is that there must be a Ghost Lambeg Drum playing somewhere in Hillsborough every week that people don't know about. We would just ask everyone to keep their eyes peeled and let us know if they see it."
"Plus where it claims we practise once or twice a week for up to three hours a time, the truth is that we only practise on a Tuesday from 6:30 to 7:30pm."
He added: ""It just made me think about the complaints about the parish church bells a number of years ago."
In 2007 some residents complained about the church bells ringing at the village's impressive parish church - a feature of the picturesque village for 200 years.
However after complaints to the council, the church silenced the bells from 10pm to 7am.
The band spokesman added: "I think that if you move into a village like Hillsborough, you're moving in for village life.
"That includes the annual fair and fete, the bell ringing club, the silver band, the flute band, the sports club, whatever.
"But then you move in and all of a sudden you don't like the bell ringing and you don't like the flute band, what do you do? You start to complain about it."
He said the band is a core part of the community and runs annual litter picks, an annual Santa parade, cross-community family fundays, mental health talks and drugs and alcohol awareness classes. It also delivered food and medicine during the pandemic.
Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council has been invited to comment.
It said no further action would be taken unless evidence of a noise nuisance was submitted.