Magistrates grant Closure Orders on two Hartlepool properties

Teesside Magistrates approved the three-month orders in respect of 40 and 50 Fraser Grove, both Thirteen Group flats, following applications from Hartlepool Borough Council on behalf of the multi-agency Hartlepool Community Safety Team.

The court awarded the Council costs totalling £4598.

The court heard that both tenants allowed anti-social and criminal behaviour to occur by having frequent visitors throughout the day and until the early hours of the morning.

In respect of 40 Fraser Grove, other complaints related to:

• Drug use from the flat, a strong smell of drugs within the property and the presence of discarded drug paraphernalia within the communal area of the block of flats. 
• Frequent noise nuisance, including loud music, parties, people constantly entering and leaving the flat, shouting through letterboxes, arguing, banging, slamming doors and vicious dogs on the loose within the communal area. 
• Smoke alarms within the block constantly going off due to the smoking of drugs, buzzers continuously being pressed by visitors wanting to gain access to the property, visitors trying door handles of other flats, banging and knocking on residents’ doors and becoming abusive to other residents.
• Rubbish being dumped in the communal area and in the courtyard, along with visitors vomiting in the communal hallway. 
• Residents within the block having their letterboxes vandalised and post stolen. 

Other complaints relating to 50 Fraser Grove involve:

• Drug use and drug dealing from the property, noise nuisance, loud music, parties, shouting, people coming and going during the night associated with drugs and fighting.
• The smashing of a window at a neighbouring flat occupied at the time by the tenant of 50 Fraser Grove by two men armed with an axe and machete who were demanding money.
• Male visitors banging on doors and making threats trying to get into other properties. Female visitors attending the property in their underwear. 
• Visitors bringing barking dogs into the block and allowing them to foul the communal area. 
• Intoxicated visitors demanding to be let into the building whilst being abusive and threatening.
• Visitors constantly ringing all of the buzzers for the block of flats to be let in. 
• Teenagers being allowed into the communal area to smoke cannabis.

Councillor Brenda Harrison, Leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, said: “I am pleased that these two applications for Closure Orders have been granted as this sends out a strong message that we are not prepared to tolerate criminal and anti-social behaviour that makes other people’s lives a misery.

“We have now secured ten Closure Orders on residential properties since July last year and we want to assure the law-abiding majority of Hartlepool residents that we will take continue to take strong action to protect their right to live in peace, free from fear and intimidation.”

Thirteen’s director of operations Kay Glew said: "Ensuring that our customers feel safe in their home and within the community where they live remains our priority. We won’t tolerate our homes being used for crime and anti-social behaviour, as we know the impact behaviour like this can have on those who live close by.

“We are pleased the Closure Orders have been granted for two of Thirteen’s homes, and to ensure we help residents feel safe, we’ve recently installed CCTV within the building.

“We’ll continue to work in partnership with Hartlepool Borough Council and Cleveland Police to reduce anti-social behaviour and crime, and we hope that the local community in Fraser Grove feel reassured that we have taken action.”

A/Inspector Chris Phelan from Hartlepool’s Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) said: “We will continue to work with the Council and Thirteen and together we will take robust action to ensure residents are able to live in peace. As always, we would urge anyone suffering in their community as a result of others’ behaviour to contact us, so that we can work to resolve the issues.”