Worksop: Anti-social tenant evicted from flat after more than 40 complaints in one year

Enforcing the Closure Notice are (from left) Caroline Hunt (A1 Housing neighbourhood housing office), PC Beverley Drabble and Debbie Savage (joint A1 Housing and Bassetlaw Council ASB officer)

Over the last 12 months, a total of 41 incidents of anti-social behaviour had been reported to A1 Housing, with more than 30 of these also reported to the police, involving Jason Hill, the tenant of a one-bedroomed flat on Kent Close.

Most incidents involved known drug users frequenting the property at all hours of the day and night creating excessive noise, causing damage to the property, fighting and using abusive and threatening language.

There were numerous complaints of parties and loud music coming from the property in addition to used syringes being thrown from windows, littering the communal pathway to the flat and being found in neighbour’s dustbins and the guttering of the property.

Residents had also reported feeling unsafe due to the visitors and their behaviour, being unable to let their children play out safely, having their sleep disturbed and residents expressing a desire to move out of the area as a direct result of the tenant and his visitors.

Bernard Coleman, managing director at A1 Housing said: “This is a particularly harrowing case of how one person and his associates have terrorised a neighbourhood with their irresponsible and selfish behaviour.”

“The Joint ASB team was specifically set up to tackle cases such as this and I am pleased that we were able to take enforcement action against the tenant.”

“I would also like to thank the local community who supplied the evidence and information that enabled us to secure this Closure Notice.”

“We will continue to work with residents, the police and other agencies to ensure that people like Hill and his associates are brought to task when they commit acts of anti-social behaviour on this scale.”

Coun Julie Leigh, cabinet member for neighbourhoods at Bassetlaw Council, said: “This is another positive result for the community and our Joint ASB team.”

“No one should be forced to live with the fear, disruption and abuse that this individual and his associates forced on the neighbourhood and we will continue to bring to task those people who commit anti-social behaviour.”

The Closure Notice was granted at Worksop Magistrates’ Court on 27th June and the one-bedroom flat on Kent Close will remain closed until at least 27th September.