Radio Times: Review by:; Emma Sturgess

Being a housing officer is like acting as a social worker, policeman and superspy (well, they’re allowed to rig up CCTV if they need to) rolled into one. They also have to find the best way of helping tenants like Diana and Danny, who are dealing with the shell shock of a cancer diagnosis alongside life in a two-up two-down with two sons and a baby on the way. Other cases in the Greater Manchester area, where NW filmed housing officers for nine months, are of the classic “noisy and antisocial neighbour” variety.

About this programme

1/6. The reality of life for housing officers in Greater Manchester, who face a different set of problem each day, from evicting anti-social tenants to dealing with hoarders. The first programme focuses on the issue of noise disturbance, which is one of the biggest problems in social housing and can lead to violence, ill health and even suicide if it is not resolved. Housing officer Cat Towl answers a call from a 20-year-old woman about her upstairs neighbour, who is blasting out his radio morning, noon and night. But what begins as a simple complaint escalates into a serious dispute. Meanwhile, a pair of cockerels in another tenant's garden are providing a 4am wake-up call for everyone in earshot.