Rag-and-bone men get complaints over noise
Nearly 80 complaints were made in a year about rag-and-bone men playing their bugle as they tour the streets of the region.
It comes as it emerged that a bid by one council to regulate scrap metal collectors's bugle in a similar way to ice cream van chimes has been abandoned.
More than 100 "tatters" operate on the streets of Wolverhampton, South Staffordshire and Walsall alone as the price of metal has soared, making it a lucrative trade for many collectors to operate.
But the bugles they use to let householders know they are passing by have sparked concern from residents who say they can be too noisy, particularly when the scrap men play recordings of bugles through loudspeakers.
Figures released by Wolverhampton City Council show that between April 2011 and March 2012 there were 26 complaints from residents complaining that their peace was being disturbed.
From then until this week there have been a further 19 complaints.
Bosses in the city had proposed a "code of practice" similar to one that regulates ice cream vans, detailing appropriate volume and duration of noise.
However the council said there was "little appetite" from other bodies at the time so it is something that they have not been able to progress.
Wolverhampton City Council spokesman Paul Brown said: "The council will pursue noise complaints relating to scrap metal traders with a view to providing a resolution as far as the legislation will allow.
"The Control of Pollution Act 1974 limits the use of amplified equipment to advertise services, though it does not restrict using a bugle or other instrument or calling from the window of vehicles as is practiced by many scrap metal traders in the Black Country.
"However, if any are using amplified equipment such as loud speakers, we would ask concerned residents to contact the city council providing details such as the vehicle registration number and the time and location of the incident so that we can investigate."
Dudley Council received 37 complaints between December 2011 and 2012. Sandwell Council received 15 queries. South Staffordshire District Council received three noise complaints and Stafford Borough Council fewer than 10, compared to 30 for the same period last year. While Walsall had 48.
