A DRUM teacher has been threatened with court over teaching the instrument to dozens of children from his home.

Neighbours have complained that Darren Hasson-Davis has been making too much noise over the past two years teaching the drums from a shed in his back garden in Freelands Road, East Oxford.

Now Oxford City Council has told him to stop the noise by Friday or face enforcement action for breaking planning laws.

He had won a planning application to build the shed, but council planners said it could only be used for pastimes “incidental” to his use of the house.

Officers have now ruled drumming lessons are not covered by the planning permissions. The letter he received from the council said that while he could submit a planning application, it was likely to fail.

Yesterday one neighbour, David Gardner, said the noise from Mr Hasson-Davis’s property was annoying.

Mr Hasson-Davis has been teaching the drums for 10 years.

He said: “The children need a venue for them to be taught.

“I used to hire a room in a primary school, but they wanted to use it for something else. Because of the prices it is difficult to find commercial properties in Oxford for small operations.

“I tried working with the households that complained as much as possible to reduce the impact on them, but I also have a two-year-old son who I need to pay the bills for.”

He said he teaches about 40 children at the property, in groups of four and uses electric drumkits and occasionally headphones.

Mr Hasson-Davis said: “The building was intended to be more soundproof than it actually turned out to be. I have invested thousands to try and keep the neighbours happy.”

But Mr Gardner said: “All I am asking for is peace and quiet.

“I don’t want to listen to that noise when I get back from work. I can hear it through my double-glazing.”

Mr Hasson-Davis, who lives at the address with his wife and son Leon, said he usually only taught until 7pm, running classes at home four days a week.

He teaches another 30 children at schools and said he was now looking for somewhere else to teach his other pupils.

A city council spokesman said: “The owner has been advised that if he wishes to continue to use it, it would be necessary for him to submit a planning application to use the building for such purposes.

“If no application is received, or if the application is refused then the council would need to consider whether any further action was necessary.”