Anti-social tenant evicted as part of tackling County Lines

This follows reports from local residents to the Council and North Yorkshire Police about substance misuse and dealing, and anti-social behaviour at a home in the west of the city.

The anti-social behaviour in the home and local area included loud noise and arguments at the house, which disrupted and worried local people about its impact on their families.

Following ongoing work with residents and North Yorkshire Police, City of York Council served the tenant a number of legal warnings of eviction. The tenant then unsuccessfully appealed against the warnings and also breached them.

The Council then applied to York County Court for an eviction warrant. After considering the evidence, the District Judge granted it and evicted the tenant on Thursday 10 July.

Councillor Michael Pavlovic, Executive Member for Housing and Safer Communities at City of York Council, said:

Working with the police and neighbours, as this case shows, we take action against tenancy breaches to stop anti-social behaviour. We also fully support work to tackle illegal activity such as County Lines and the misery it heaps on communities.

“This home will now be prepared to be sensitively re-let to another tenant as quickly as possible.”

Sergeant Charlotte Gregory, from the York Community Safety Hub, said:

Alongside City of York Council, we have worked tirelessly to robustly address the deeply concerning behaviour of the tenant, resulting in the County Court granting full possession of the property back to the Council.

“This positive outcome, which falls under Operation Titan, North Yorkshire Police’s dedicated effort to combat County Lines drug dealing, shows we will use all available powers to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour. The multi-agency approach involves more than criminal convictions, as this successful eviction clearly demonstrates.

“The detrimental impact this behaviour has on residents, and the community as a whole, will not be tolerated.

“We encourage residents to keep feeding information to the Council, to the police, or anonymously to Crimestoppers.

“You can be assured that we will use it effectively against those suspected of being involved in drug dealing and related anti-social behaviour in our area.”

The tenant was advised where they could get information about their options for new accommodation.

To report anti-social behaviour:

• Online at www.york.gov.uk/AntisocialBehaviour, or call 01904 551555 or email: neo@york.gov.uk. You can also report it to the police on 101 if it’s a non-emergency.

To report drug-related crime:

• Anyone with any information about suspected drug-related crime are urged to make a report via the North Yorkshire Police website or by calling 101 and speaking to the Force Control Room.
• Always dial 999 if an emergency response is required.
• If you would prefer to remain anonymous, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or make a report online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org<http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/>.

The signs of drug-dealing can include:

• Increased callers at a home at all times of the day or night
• Increase in cars pulling up for short periods of time
• Different accents at a home
• Anti-social behaviour at a home
• Not seeing the resident for long periods of time
• Drug-related waste such as small plastic bags and syringes
• Windows covered or curtains closed for long periods.

For professional support for substance-related issues, visit:

• Drink Drug Hub at http://www.drinkdrughub.co.uk/
• North Yorkshire Rise - young people's specialist drug and alcohol service- freephone 08000 14 14 80 (option 2) http://www.humankindcharity.org.uk/service/nyrise/
• North Yorkshire Horizons - adult specialist drug and alcohol service - freephone 08000 14 14 80 http://www.nyhorizons.org.uk/
• City of York Drug and Alcohol Service – www.changegrowlive.org/york/info
• NHS – www.nhs.uk/live-well/addiction-support/drug-addiction-getting-help/
• FRANK helpline and information - www.talktofrank.com/.