Closure order granted following repeated ASB at house in Winsford

An address in Winsford, which was involved in anti-social behaviour, has been shut down by officers.

Officers from Winsford Beat Management team successfully applied for a closure order for an address on Hamletts Close, Winsford, at Crewe Magistrates' Court on Wednesday 21 February.

Following reports from local residents, officers from the Local Policing Unit held a meeting with the occupant of the address, a 35-year-old man, about his behaviour and warned him that action would be taken against him if he persisted.

Despite the warning, the male continued to display poor behaviour, with officers working alongside residents to gather the evidence required to secure the order.

The court heard that the man was persistently involved in incidents of anti-social behaviour, with the order itself being granted shortly after it was reported that the 35-year-old had threatened the occupants of a vehicle parked outside of his address with a kitchen knife.

All windows and doors will now be boarded up and anyone who enters the address during this time is committing a criminal offence and can be arrested.

The closure will last for three months and, during that period, the occupant will need to find alternative accommodation.

Sergeant Paul Cundy, of Northwich Local Policing Unit, said:

"This is the second ASB closure that we have secured on a property in Winsford in the past ten days, giving a clear message that if people repeatedly cause misery in the community, they will lose their house and have very limited options open to them in the future to get accommodation.

"We can also take action against homes that are privately owned or mortgaged and have done so in the past - there is no type of property or business that is immune to these orders.

“I hope this closure will serve as a warning to any Winsford residents who choose to behave in this way can lose their homes as a consequence of their actions.

“I would also encourage anyone who has concerns about drug-related issues to please report it to us and we will do everything we can to tackle it and find a solution."

Anyone with concerns about anti-social behaviour in their area is asked to report it to Cheshire Police via:

http://www.cheshire.police.uk/tell-us

or call 101