THE OCCUPANTS of a Malvern ‘drugs den’ which has caused long-term ‘misery’ for neighbours have been removed from the home for good following a joint operation between police and a major housing firm.
An eviction warrant at the Elgar Avenue home, which for months was plagued with drug problems and anti-social behaviour trouble, was executed on Monday by police and Fortis Living who have secured the building and changed the locks following months of complaints by worried residents.
Police had been called to the home, located near the HD Anywhere Community Stadium, on an almost daily basis throughout the past year with children under 16 were often seen going into and leaving the property in the early hours causing a nuisance to neighbours.
Youngsters who were reported to police as ‘missing’ were later found at the home and were also involved in fights in the Pickersleigh area, police told the Observer.
A drugs warrant was also executed at the address last year following information from the public the property was being used as a drugs den – quantities of cannabis were subsequently found in the ground floor flat.
Malvern police officer Jon Hand said: “The behaviour of the tenants and those that visited the property has caused misery for local residents for some time.
“This eviction goes to show the very real consequences for those that behave in such a way.
“Pickersleigh and Chase SNT and Fortis Living worked together to gather the evidence for this much needed eviction.”
Initially the female tenant, who has not been named by police and Fortis Living, came across as a victim who was being ‘preyed upon’ and was given help to secure her tenancy, however it became apparent many visitors were using the address for inappropriate means.
Police said the tenant claimed she could not control the visitors but despite the best efforts from the police and Fortis Living, she failed to co-operate which led to the case being dealt with at Worcester Crown Court.
PC Hand compiled a community impact statement based on police information and neighbourhood complaints which was submitted to the courts alongside Fortis Living documents.
The tenant then failed to adhere to the courts’ recommendations which allowed Fortis Living to secure the eviction order.
John Elger, tenancy services manager at Fortis Living, added: “We have a very firm line on tenants who continually behave in an anti-social way.
“The person at fault will always have a chance to rectify their actions before we step in. In this case, the tenant had been causing significant disturbance to her neighbours for a number of months.
“We have worked closely with the tenant and partner agencies to resolve any issues but in the end eviction was the only option left open to us.”
