Cleveland Police and partners used new powers as the first force in country to use new legislation to evict. An eviction of a woman, her daughter and three sons (in their late teens and early 20s) was the first in the UK to be agreed solely on the grounds of antisocial behaviour (ASB) under section 80 of the Antisocial Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014. With input from Cleveland Fire Brigade, Coast & Country Housing and Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, police built up a file of evidence over at least the last two years including:
Deliberate fires
Criminal damage
Illegal use of off-road motorbikes
Noise nuisance
Antisocial behaviour
Cleveland Police even set up a problem solving group to deal solely with this family and agencies regularly offered support; but with no improvement in the situation, the authorities say. Police therefore applied for an Antisocial Behaviour closure notice on the house.
South Bank Neighbourhood Sergeant Steve Chambers said `after a judge authorised the closure notice: “As neighbourhood police officers we work to ensure our communities are safe places to live and work without the fear of crime, harassment and ASB which can blight the lives of the law abiding majority. I’d like to thank my colleagues at Cleveland Fire Brigade, Coast & Country Housing and Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council for all their hard work and support in ensuring this application was successful.”
He added that the ruling should send out a message that police and partners will not tolerate persistent antisocial behaviour and crime.
Barbara Watson, Coast & Country area manager added: “Coast & Country has worked extensively with Cleveland Police and partners to address the anti-social behaviour perpetrated by this family and recently, as part of our investigations, set up a covert operation to gather CCTV evidence of their behaviour. As the largest social landlord in the Redcar & Cleveland area, we have a responsibility to protect our tenants and other residents, allowing them the right to enjoy their home in peace. We will continue to work closely with Cleveland Police and partners to prevent anti-social behaviour in and around our communities.
“Coast & Country takes a firm but fair approach when dealing with the very small minority of residents who cause misery to others. In this case the anti-social behaviour was intolerable and decisive action was taken and we would like to thank all the organisations involved. We would also like to thank residents affected for the help they provided in enabling us to work with the Police and other partners to gain a successful outcome. We know that this can be daunting but we believe that the action taken will have a positive impact on their quality of life.”
