Unruly tenant leaves apartment following temporary Closure Order

She agreed to give up her accommodation within Park Tower, a former department store in the town centre, after the Hartlepool Community Safety Team obtained a temporary Closure Order on the top-floor apartment.

Her decision to leave meant that no further court action was needed.

Other Park Tower residents - some of whom have children - told the community safety team how they were living in fear and unable to sleep due to the anti-social behaviour of the woman who was often heavily under the influence of alcohol.

They said she would shout, scream and bang inside her property or on a balcony, throw glass vodka bottles off the balcony, issue threats and expose herself. She was also racially abusive to another resident, an offence for which she was prosecuted and convicted separately.

Her disruptive behaviour would often start as early as 7.30am and continue until the early hours of the following day, and the situation became so bad that some residents even opted to move out of their own apartments.

Anti-Social Behaviour Officer Marie Harland said: “The Hartlepool Community Safety Team is not prepared to tolerate such behaviour, and we immediately began to compile a case against this woman as soon as the problems at Park Tower were reported to us.

“We are pleased with the outcome, and residents have thanked the team for its support in resolving this matter and allowing them to enjoy their own homes again.”

This case follows similar action taken recently to tackle drug dealing from a property in the town’s Carlton Street, where a court granted a two-week temporary Closure Order on the property before the landlord secured the surrender of the tenancy.

Councillor Shane Moore, Chair of the Safer Hartlepool Partnership and Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, said: “The actions taken in both cases highlight the value of having an integrated community safety team that brings together staff from Hartlepool Borough Council, Cleveland Police and Cleveland Fire Brigade.

“I hope this helps to reassure people that where crime and anti-social behaviour issues occur, we will stand up for law-abiding residents and take decisive action to protect them.”

The Hartlepool Community Safety Team can be contacted on (01429) 523100 or community.safety@hartlepool.gov.uk Crimes should be reported to Cleveland Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency. They can also be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.