Closure order granted for Bristol property linked to drug crime and ASB

Police have secured a closure order against a residential address in Bristol.

Our Antisocial Behaviour, Legal Services and Neighbourhood Teams worked together with agency partners to apply to magistrates to close 44 Comb Paddock in the Henleaze area of the city, after it was repeatedly linked to drug crime and anti-social behaviour.

The address has now been closed to all persons including the tenant and any person found within the property will now be committing a criminal offence.

The order was granted at Bristol Magistrates Court today (Monday 14 February) and will last for three months.

In their application to the court, the teams outlined how since 2017, drug related activity linked with the property had resulted in numerous instances of disorder and had caused local residents to ‘live in fear’.

In April 2019, a search warrant was executed at the address in which a Taser device, class A drugs and other drug paraphernalia were recovered.

The following month, neighbours reported an altercation late at night which resulted in significant criminal damage to the property.

In 2021, police received a number of reports of drug dealing with many people coming and going from the property. Drug activity also expanded to the lane outside and a large ‘rambo knife’ discovered in bushes near the property was suspected to be linked to criminal activity there.

A further search warrant executed at the address in November 2021 resulted in the recovery of numerous phones, a machete, a large amount of cash and suspected class B drugs.

Officers attempted to work with the registered tenant and an Acceptable Behaviour Contract was agreed, but this was subsequently breached on multiple occasions.

Local residents also contributed to the application for the order, telling magistrates how they were subjected to daily anti-social, and occasionally violent, behaviour by a constant stream of people attending the property throughout the day and night.

Chief Inspector Robert Cheeseman said: “Drug use and supply, and related crime and anti-social behaviour associated with this address has had a huge negative impact on local residents.

“We are grateful to the community for providing us with the information we needed to execute warrants at the address and gather the evidence required to present a robust case at court.

“Numerous attempts by officers and local agency partners to work with the tenant have sadly proved unsuccessful, and so we welcome the magistrates’ decision, which will mean local residents no longer have to fear for their safety.

“I encourage anyone with any concerns about crime or anti-social behaviour within their community to contact us so that proactive action can be taken where required. All reports will be treated in confidence.”

Anyone experiencing issues with antisocial behaviour in their area can report it online at: https://staging.avonandsomerset.police.uk/report/anti-social-behaviour/