AN UPPER NORWOOD drugs den that was the scene of persistent antisocial behaviour, leaving neighbours feeling like prisoners in their own homes, has been closed by Croydon council.
A closure order stopping anybody from entering or living at 83, The Lawns, Upper Norwood, for three months was grantedon April 29th at Croydon Magistrates’ Court.
The court was told of loud music, fighting, drug use and dealing, loitering, and youths coming and going from the flat, said a Croydon council spokesman.
“Despite repeated warnings to the tenant, and the leaseholder, the trouble continued, and during a raid in August last year police found cannabis, cocaine and drug paraphernalia.
“Residents have reported strong smells of cannabis, loud music, and drug dealing. “They said they were ‘worried and edgy all the time, afraid to venture outdoors and never had visitors.
“One neighbour described it as similar to living under siege, while others called the household ‘the neighbours from hell’, adding that they wanted to move away from the area.”
Tony Brooks, Croydon council’s director with responsibility for crime and safety, said: “The tenants’s behaviour has been the stuff of nightmares for the people who live in this block. Thankfully, this has now come to an end.
“This home has been a magnet for persistent drug use and antisocial behaviour, which is why we have taken the action of seeking a closure order to stop anybody living at or entering the property.”
(Source: Croydon council press release)
