OXFORD’S noise abatement team is being swamped with complaints from residents fed up with the city’s late-night party culture.

Calls to the environmental health department’s out-of-hours service have increased by 70 per cent over the past six years and complaints are now being ranked in order of importance as on-call officers struggle to attend every incident.

Just one staff member is on call each weekend and can be left to deal with up to 60 incidents – ranging from loud parties and pubs, to daytime noise from builders.

Noise experts have even been called to complaints about over-exuberant sex. Each incident can take up to an hour to attend.

Last weekend, the out-of-hours service received a string of complaints about a licensed rave in Cassington – although it ended up being dealt with by a neighbouring council.

Mum-of-three Emma Cox, from London Road in Headington, said loud parties are a problem.

She added: “My three-month-old has been woken up numerous times at two or three in the morning. It can be quite distressing.”

Sarah Giles, 79, of East Avenue, said: “There are loads of parties during term time here. Students are the worst.”

East Oxford councillor Dick Wolff called for the noise service to be reviewed after spending time with over-worked officers.

He said: “Complaints about all-night disturbance from out-of-control parties have increased a lot in the last couple of years.

“We are talking about serious disturbances between 1am and 7am, which have a devastating impact on neighbours.

“The out-of-hours team is typically one council officer living 10 miles away who has already done a day’s work, taking their turn to be on call.

“There’s no way they can respond to up to 30 calls over a busy weekend, which is what it has become.

“The message must start to go out: party by all means but if you keep your neighbours up all night you’ll be dealt with quickly and firmly.”

The council said Oxford was becoming more densely populated each year with “a wide range of lifestyles and ages which sometimes makes for problems especially where noise is concerned”.

It has now reviewed the situation but councillor John Tanner, the executive member responsible for the service, said no more money was available to increase out-of-hours cover.

He added: “We’re looking at ways to improve and work more efficiently. I think there’s a danger of over-stretching if we try to respond to every call.”

Thames Valley Police said it had no authority to deal with noisy parties or loud music and complaints were referred to environmental health officers.

Spokesman Rebecca Webber added: “Generally, at least two complaints from separate callers would have to be received before the police would consider sending officers to an incident. Callers should be aware that loud music, on a Saturday night for example, will be a fairly low priority.”

Dr Anne Gwinnett, director of corporate affairs at Oxford Brookes University, said: “We do issue advice to those who study at Brookes, and the university has a robust complaints procedure to deal with any issues.”