A DRUG den in Darlington has been closed by police.

Residents of Bartlett Street, off Corporation Road, hope life will return to normal after months of anti-social behaviour.

The "crack house" closure at 44 Bartlett Street is the second to be made in the county. However, police in Darlington have warned there are likely to be more.

Yesterday, Claire Currie and her partner, Michael Jacques, were ordered to remove their possessions from the house, which will be boarded up for at least three months to prevent any more criminal activity.

Notices of the order have been fixed to the property, along with contact details of support organisations for drug and alcohol addiction. In order to obtain the closure, the North Road area police officers had to prove to magistrates there had been evidence of supply and use of Class A drugs and a link to anti-social behaviour.

Anna Smith, anti-social behaviour officer for Darlington Borough Council, worked with the police to obtain the order.

She said: "We've been gathering evidence and information on this property since September 2006. Residents have complained about graffiti on windows, people knocking on their windows thinking it's number 44 at all hours of the day. One resident even had dog faeces thrown into her back yard.

"Our team has also been called out with regard to youth nuisance on several occasions."

Beat officer PC John Forster said: "I hope this sends a warning to people whose homes are used to take or supply drugs in Darlington."

The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 was used for the first time in the county, in Darlington, in September last year.

Julie Gowling and her lodger, Kevin Russell Smith, were ordered to move out of her house in Peabody Street after neighbours complained about all-night parties and loud music