"It's driving us mad" - fed-up residents forced to put up with pub alarm sounding 24/7 for almost a month

People living near the closed-down Lincoln pub have had to put up with an alarm sounding around the clock for nearly a month.

Despite it having been reported many times, the alarm was still blaring last week (Wednesday, September 4), keeping people awake and disturbing their quite enjoyment of their homes.

One neighbour said he had reported it to North Northamptonshire Council more than two weeks ago and had been told when he phoned earlier this week for an update that the authority was ‘working on it’.

Within hours of our reporter contacting the council, and after interventions from ward councillor Zoe McGhee (Lab, Kingswood), the authority promised the alarm would finally be silenced.

Despina McKay lives within a few metres of the pub. She said: “It’s driving everyone mad. Nobody in any kind of authority seems able to do anything about it. I know there are people who feel like going in there themselves and smashing the alarm off the wall.”

The pub in Corby has been securely boarded up for several years after it shut down for good in 2018.

Corby Council bought back the lease to the building in 2020 and tried to get interest to keep it open as a pub, but there were no takers.

Several people going into the shop next door stopped our reporter yesterday to complain about the alarm. One woman who only wanted to be known as Kelly said: “We shouldn’t have to live with this. Thankfully my house is far enough away so I don’t hear it at night but I can hear it every time I step out of my house. After what happened at The Talisman you think they’d be on top of this.”

Another local said the noise had been reported to the arson task force, the fire brigade and the police.

Shopkeeper Popet Khunti who works in Lincoln Way Stores just ten metres from the pub said: “People are saying it’s the official theme tune of The Lincoln.

"This is at least the third week it’s been going off now. The previous landlady told me it’s been bought by builders in the town but I don’t know. The police have been out at least three times. Everyone who comes in is complaining about it.”

Lincoln Way was mostly flattened and rebuilt a decade ago, but the pub was left standing among the new houses.

Last month The Talisman on the Danesholme estate went up in flames days after a local councillor raised serious concerns about kids vandalising the building.

Councillor Zoe McGhee (Lab, Kingswood) said: “Kingswood councillors recognise the distress the alarm has caused to our residents. As soon as we were aware we went to the council who organised for the alarm to be turned off.

"We went round each house in the area to tell residents and let them know we are pushing for an emergency number they can call should this happen again. Once we have this number we intend to deliver letters to residents with all the details.”

North Northamptonshire Council have not yet responded to our request for comment.