Problem property closed after residents left living in fear

A property in a quiet residential street has been closed by police after it became a magnet for drug dealing, violence and antisocial behaviour.

The property, in Welbeck Street, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, has been the subject of repeated complaints by local residents, many of whom had been too fearful to speak to officers.

Windows at the property were repeatedly smashed as local criminals, drug users and drug dealers made repeated visits to an otherwise peaceful residential street.

Police responded to multiple acts of serious violence and other drug related crime and have worked with the local council to secure a temporary closure order, which was issued on Monday and confirmed by Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

The order, issued for three months under Section 80 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014, prevents anyone from entering or living in the property.

Any breach of the order carries a potential prison sentence of six months and/or a fine of up to £5,000.

PC Amy Roberts, of the Kirkby Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “The tenant at this property has brought with him a constant torrent of criminal activity that turned an otherwise happy and safe community into one where people were scared to walk down their own street.

“His behaviour – and the behaviour of the various criminal associates who visited this address – had a huge impact on the lives of neighbouring residents who really were living in fear.

“This isn’t an action we take lightly but, in this case, we really were left with no other option.

“I am grateful to our colleagues at Ashfield District Council for helping us to secure this result and hope people living nearby can now enjoy quiet and peaceful lives.”

Inspector Dale Smith, district commander for Ashfield, said: "This is one of a number of similar orders we have secured in recent months and certainly won’t be the last, because in my experience these closure orders really do work.

"In the short term they remove people from the areas they have been causing problems in, and in the long-term they really do change people's behaviour.

"I am aware of several people who have previously been subjected to these orders who have realised there are consequences to their actions and changed their behaviour accordingly."