Members of the public have welcomed the move by the new commissioner of police to deal with the issue of noise which has been a nuisance for many years.

There have been numerous complaints from residents that they cannot enjoy the peace and quiet of their homes at day or night because of noises, including loud music. But a St Andrew resident has complained that churches at times breach the law.

"People may think I am an ungodly person. This is not so, but I must complain about some churches, particularly when they are having crusades," a St Andrew resident complained.

"Three weeks in March, a church had a crusade in a park near to where I live, and every evening I dreaded going home because the noise level was so high. Many evenings I could not watch my television, listen to my radio or even speak on my telephone because the public address system was turned up so high.

"However, finally that crusade ended but I now discover that a week after that three-week crusade, another church is also having a crusade in the same park, and the problem starts again with the loud noise from 7 p.m. to about 10 p.m.

"I am a Christian, I attend church regularly and I pray daily, but I don't believe that I should be deprived of my peace and quiet after a hard day's work. The people in charge of crusades and churches are Christians, and as such, should have consideration for others and turn down the volume of the public address systems."

Organisations and churches also have a duty to ensure that laws are not breached. The police have a duty to enforce the law once it is being breached. The Noise Abatement Act states that loud noise is prohibited day and night.