REPORTS of persistent drug dealing and associated crime and antisocial behaviour at a house on Fieldfare Road has led the Hartlepool Community Safety Team - a partnership of Hartlepool Borough Council, Cleveland Fire Brigade and Cleveland Police - to take decisive action.

With support from local people whose quality of life was being affected, the partners applied for - and were granted - a closure order on the address.

A 32-year-old man associated with the Fieldfare Road address had previously given cause to the partners to apply for a closure order at a flat on Hartlepool Marina due to alleged drug dealing. 

This was granted in November last year and the man was arrested just a day afterwards for breaching it by attending the address.

Community Safety Partnership PC Geoff Coggin said: “This result is down to successful partnership working. We used a criminal and a civil approach and the law abiding majority of people in the Fieldfare Road area should see an improvement in their quality of life.

“The 32-year-old man associated with both cases caused misery for neighbours at each address but the most recent closure order shows you can’t escape the consequences of persistent crime and antisocial behaviour.

“Police and partners will continue to respond to information and complaints of drug dealing, criminality and antisocial behaviour in our communities and we’ll use everything in our power to tackle it.”