Residents 'ecstatic' as 'neighbours from hell' are evicted in Redcar

Residents on an estate in Redcar have spoken about their relief after "nightmare" tenants living on their street have been evicted.

The house in St James Court, Grangetown, was said to be a den for crack cocaine use with drug dealers frequenting the property also described as carrying 'Rambo-style' machete knives down their trouser legs for their own protection.

Missing children were also found at the address, which is now boarded up and vacant, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Anti-social behaviour officers from Redcar and Cleveland Council worked with the police to gather evidence on the activities inside and outside the chaotic property with Teesside magistrates granting a closure order.

Accounts shared by people living in the cul-de-sac include:

• Motorbikers doing 'donuts' and cars revving engines at all hours.

• A caravan being set on fire on the front of the property.

• Crack pipes openly being smoked in the front garden.

• Fighting and regular verbal abuse.

• Items being stolen to fund the buying of drugs and bins being rummaged through.

• A stream of fly-tipped rubbish, attracting rats, along with a ferret in a cage that was left behind following the eviction only to be collected later.

One neighbour said it had been "an absolute nightmare".

He described how the family struggled to sleep at night and were concerned for their baby son at times, as well as children who would play out in the cul-de-sac.

He said: "There were lots of nights with people screaming and shouting.

"There were streams of people coming in and it was obvious it was all to do with drug dealing.

"I have seen them in the front garden smoking crack and heard them [the tenants] shouting and arguing about who has smoked the last of the crack."

One woman, who lives with her partner and their one-year-old son nearby, said she was "ecstatic" at the news.

She said: "Everyone else in this court is perfectly fine.

"I am ecstatic they are no longer here."

Another neighbour living opposite, who has lived in the court for more than 20 years, said she noise "could be a nightmare sometimes" and said she had been subjected to abuse.

She said: "We aren't all bad here and ain't a bad bunch really."

Another resident of the court said: "It's been an absolute nightmare.

"This summer we could not let the kids play out, it's a relief they can now go out and play again.

"They had no regard for other people's lives.

"We had cars coming and going revving their engines, motorbikers doing donuts, there was a farm quad bike in here at one point.

"There was a lot of noise during the night at all hours, fighting, you name it.

"The police would come and go, they'd be arrests and then people would be out again."

The terms of the closure order granted by magistrates mean the housing association property cannot be occupied for another three months.

Speaking after the eviction, Inspector Neil Deluce from Redcar and Cleveland neighbourhood policing team, said: "It is entirely unacceptable for people to carry out behaviour like this and make the lives of our law-abiding citizens a misery. 

"We will take action against anyone who behaves in this manner; whether that be removing someone from an address or putting them before the courts to answer for their behaviour.

"This successful closure order is another example of where we have listened and worked with partners to act on that information. 

"We would urge anyone suffering from issues such as these to come forward and speak with us, either by calling 101 or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."

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