Closure order granted by court following alleged drug-related anti-social behaviour

Carolyn Williamson and Chris Williamson who lived at an address on Lime Grove, Newark, must stay away from the property for three months, following the order made by Nottingham Magistrates yesterday morning (Wednesday 31 January).

The order was sought following complaints from residents and Police about comings and goings to the property that were causing serious nuisance to members of the public.

The catalogue of incidents taking place at the property included allegations of drug dealing and misuse which resulted in Police raids, and a stream of individuals visiting the address day and night shouting for the attention of those inside the property.

It is an offence to enter or remain on premises in contravention of a Closure Notice or Closure Order without reasonable excuse, punishable by a fine or imprisonment or both. A Closure Order is designed to provide immediate relief for the community from the ASB being committed from a property.

Councillor Paul Taylor, Portfolio Holder for Public Protection and Community Relations at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “Persistent behaviour such as this has an impact on the local community, and I hope this Closure Order sends a clear message that we will not stand by whilst residents are disturbed and concerned. If other residents are experiencing this kind of behaviour, then please help us by reporting any incidents of ASB or crime.

“We will not tolerate anti-social or criminal behaviour and it is encouraging to see, once again, we are cracking down on unacceptable behaviour that affects our community. We will continue to work with our partners at the Police to tackle ASB and crime and create a safer future for Newark and Sherwood.”

The closure order was made under Section 80 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014. These powers are designed to allow local authorities and the police, working in consultation with each other, to take swift and effective action to stop those responsible for severe and persistent anti-social behaviour.

Newark and Sherwood District Council is committed to tackling criminal and anti-social behaviour such as this and have recently expanded the Anti-Social Behaviour Team, allowing the opportunity for ASB Officers and Community Protection Officers to move to area-based working, with dedicated officers covering the whole of the district. It also provides additional resilience when rates of anti-social behaviour increase as the team have the resource to target specific areas.

This is in addition to the programme of works the Council is currently implementing to tackle ASB, including enhancing and improving its CCTV network, investing in safety and security measures in Balderton through the Safer Streets 5 project, and in recurring or more serious cases the District Council serve injunctions and criminal behaviour orders.