New anti-social behaviour powers used for first time in North East

06-FEB-09

Issued by: Jeanette Hedley

North Tyneside Council and Northumbria Police have used new legal powers to crackdown on a house associated with anti-social behaviour.

The council's Safer Estates Team, in partnership with North Tyneside Area Command, today applied to Magistrates for a closure order against a ground floor flat in Devon Road, Chirton Grange, North Shields.

It's believed to be the North East's first-ever use of powers, which are under section 11B of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 and came into force on 1 December 2008.

The closure order application follows numerous incidents of drunkenness, disorder and nuisance behaviour caused by the tenant and visitors to the council property over the past year.

The application at North Shields Magistrates Court, was adjourned until Friday, February 13.

However, in the meantime a closure notice will continue, this prevents anyone other than council tenant John Turnbull, 45, from accessing the flat.

Anyone breaching the closure notice will be arrested and faces imprisonment of up to 51 weeks, a fine of £5,000, or both.

Turnbull has already been served with a notice of seeking possession of the property.

North Tyneside's elected mayor John Harrison said: "We're on the side of law-abiding residents.

"Today's action shows we will use every power at our disposal to take action against the small minority who can make life a misery for others.

"Our Safer Estates Team already has a well-deserved national reputation. Working closely with Northumbria Police, we will continue to put anti-social behaviour at the top of our agenda."

Neighbourhood Inspector Geoff Cross, North Shields, said: "These closure order proceedings mean that neighbours will no longer have to suffer from the problem of people gathering at this property to drink and cause disorder.

"Local residents will be able to stay at home without worrying about disruption caused to their lives by the problems of drunken parties.

"This is the first time this new legislation has been used in the North East and I'm sure it will not be the last.

"If anyone breaches the current closure notice they will face immediate arrest and the court can send them to prison.

"I hope Turnbull understands the message that he must behave if he wants to continue to live in this community.

"If anyone has concerns about crime and disorder in their neighbourhood then please contact your local neighbourhood policing team on 03456 043 043 and we will do all we can to help you."

Notes to editors:

The new powers resemble the crack house closure orders, but relate to anti-social behaviour rather than Class A drugs.

It applies to any premises where either the police or the local authority reasonably believe, within three months of taking the decision to issue a closure notice that a person has engaged in anti-social behaviour on the premises; that the premises are associated with significant and persistent disorder or persistent and serious nuisance to members of the public, and; that an order is necessary to prevent the occurrence of such disorder or nuisance.

The closure order may be extended (more than once) by an application to the court, however the closure order itself may not last more than 6 months in total.