A bungalow in Letchworth has been closed by police due to on going anti-social behaviour and drug-related activity.

The closure order for the property in Eastern Way was granted at Stevenage Magistrates' Court today, following an application made by North Herts Operation Scorpion team, the Letchworth Safer Neighbourhood team, and Settle housing association. The decision was made due to the anti-social behaviour of the 35-year-old tenant and his associates who were using the address.

North Herts Op Scorpion officers executed a Section 8 Search Warrant due to numerous complaints about drug-related activity at the address.

Local officers had also received complaints from residents regarding ASB connected to the property, which was having a detrimental effect on their lives.

Working with Settle and other agencies, officers applied to have the address closed for a three-month period to give the local community some respite from the issues, while the problem is addressed.

The closure order was granted under the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014.

It bans anyone from entering the property for three months. Should an unauthorised person enter the property, they will be arrested, which could lead to prison time, a fine of £5,000, or both.

Anti-social Behaviour Officer Jeanette Dallimore said: "Officers were called to the address on numerous occasions due to reports of anti-social behaviour and a successful Section 8 warrant was executed where a quantity of drugs were found.

"Local residents should not have to put up with this kind of activity impacting on their daily lives in this way and we would urge anyone experiencing similar problems to get in touch with their local police team.

"We take reports like this very seriously and will always investigate. This is not always a quick process, but we always try and work with our partners to secure a satisfactory outcome."

You can contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Officers by calling the non-emergency number 101, report information online at herts.police.uk/report or speak to an officer via web chat at herts.police.uk/contact.

You can stay anonymous by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via the online form at crimestoppers-uk.org.