House shut down for anti-social behaviour offences

A closure order has been served on a property in Stoke-on-Trent that had seen officers attend over a number of months to deal with drugs and anti-social behaviour offences.

On Thursday (5 November), North Staffordshire Justice Centre, sitting in Newcastle-under-Lyme, granted a closure order under section 80 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 which prohibits people from remaining and returning to enter 87 Boulton Street in Birches Head for a period of three months.

The property has been sealed off to the public and no further entry will be allowed for the remainder of the order.

The visual state of the property has also been affecting neighbours who look onto the property, with bags of rubbish left out the front and old furniture left in the back garden which has been set fire to with the fire service needing to attend.

Officers were aware of incidents involving the property which began in April this year and ran until September. These included people seen leaving the property at all hours of the day, Covid-19 breaches, people shouting outside the property in the early hours, arguments with neighbours and suspected drugs activities.

On September 11 a resident in the property was served with a Community Protection Warning in relation to the above issues by Stoke on Trent City Council but officers believe it was continually breached.

Due to this, the force recommended the full closure order be made, which has now been served.