PEOPLE in the Tees Valley area are being urged to be good neighbours.
Council officials want them to be aware of how their day-to-day actions can generate noise, which can affect others.
A drive to raise awareness is being led by the Tees Valley Environmental Protection Group, a consortium made up of Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton, Redcar and Cleveland and Darlington councils.
It comes ahead of Noise Action Week, this week, and the group is running radio and bus advertisements to make residents aware of noise problems, with the slogan "noise pollution -don't keep quiet about it".
Emma Tierney, Hartlepool Borough Council's principal officer for health and environment, said: "When we talk about pollution, we tend to think about industry and transport as being the main sources of it.
"However, noise can be a form of pollution that actually impacts directly on people's health. Noise can cause a lot of annoyance and distress, and we all need to be aware of how our actions can contribute to the problem."
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