A HOUSE has been emptied and its tenant evicted after a closure order was granted in court after reports of drug dealing and crime.

The property on Portman Street in Middlesbrough was reported to the council earlier this year after terrified neighbours branded its residents "the worst kind of scumbags."

Residents of the street said they had seen drug-dealing and using, gangs congregating, violence and drunk arguments stemming from the same house.

According to one resident, ten men were witnessed physically fighting, meanwhile another emailed the council and said: "This street is absolutely buzzing with the worst kind of scumbags this town has produced and things need to change.

"Why are they allowed to be housed in a street with families and kids playing in the street to see them dealing and smacked out of their heads – we need help."

Middlesbrough Council's Selective Licensing Neighbourhood Safety Officer started compiling evidence of bad behaviour to build up a case against them.

The council said it worked closely with police who made a number of arrests at the property during a raid last month, which also resulted in the recovery of knives, hammers and drug using equipment.

The matter was then taken to Teesside Magistrates' Court where the closure order on the property was granted.

The order means that anyone entering the property in the next three months – including the tenant, 56-year-old Anthony Thompson – is committing a criminal offence.

Following the case Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston said: "We absolutely will not stop booting these people out and we will always be on the side of the neighbour in this case who was at their wits' end and crying out for help.

"I don't care if we have to shut down every single one of these houses that is full of bad people causing misery – if that's what is needed to make things better for the good people then that's what we'll do."

In October, Middlesbrough Council secured a closure order on 97 Portman Street and evicted the tenants Michael Todd, 48, and Kayleigh Gallon, 30.

In the latest case, the court heard that both Todd and Gallon were among those seen visiting the property.

Another property, 43 Thornton Street in North Ormesby – dubbed a "house of horrors" – was shut down in July.