City enforcers have used new powers to ‘lockdown’ the house of an anti-social neighbour in York.
City of York Council served a premises closure notice on 18 Highmoor Close in Dringhouses.
That prevented the tenant, David Horncastle, 47, from allowing any visitors into the property.
The notice was served after prolonged nuisance and disturbance at the house.
This included “numerous allegations of anti-social behaviour at the premises, reported to the estate manager, Safer Neighbourhoods Area policing team in the Dringhouses area and the Community Safety Hub,” the council said.
Horncastle has since ended his tenancy and the house is being prepared to be re-let.
‘Nuisance stopped’
Cllr David Carr described the action as an excellent example of both the effectiveness of the new law and the Community Safer Hub.
He said:
Head of community safety Jane Mowat said the work put into the Community Safety Hub is now bearing fruit.
We’ve been able to serve a legal notice with teeth and stop anti-social behaviour that’s been blighting the community.
What is a premises closure notice?
A premises closure notice runs for up to 48 hours and prohibits anyone other than the owner – in this case City of York Council – or those legally living at the premises from entering the home.
Anyone breaching this notice would be committing a criminal offence which carries a maximum sentence of three months imprisonment, or a fine, or both.
That means no visitors can cross the threshold, including any friends or family who do not live in the house.