Three houses in Armley have been closed due to ‘large-scale anti-social behaviour’, police have said.
West Yorkshire Police and the Leeds Anti-Social Behaviour Team applied for a closure order for three properties on Paisley Place, Armley.
Proceedings at Leeds Magistrates’ Court granted a Premises Closure Order, stating that the properties will be closed to all persons for a period of three months from 4 January and all other persons are prohibited from remaining, returning or entering affected properties until 4pm on 4 April.
A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said:
“These premises have been sealed and no further entry to these premises is permitted. Any persons entering the premises without permission of Leeds City Council or the Magistrates Court are committing an offence and can be arrested.”
In October last year, police saw a significant increase in calls related to crime and anti-social behaviour in the area alongside heightened concerns from the local community.
Incidents included reports of drug dealing, criminal damage, assaults, and people fighting in the street with weapons.
Officers increased patrols of the area and gathered intelligence that led to three drugs warrants being executed in November, resulting in two arrests and the recovery of quantities of drugs and offensive weapons.
Inspector Phil Gill, who heads the West Leeds Neighbourhood Policing Team, said:
“The issues of crime and anti-social behaviour that we saw around these addresses were having a completely unacceptable impact on people in the area.
“We can never tolerate behaviour such as this and responded quickly, working closely with our council partners to find a long-term solution to the problems.
“The securing of these three closure orders should bring some welcome relief to residents and demonstrate our continued commitment to using all available measures to target the problems that affects people’s lives.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and we encourage residents to let us know about any further incidents or issues in the area so we can take appropriate action.”
Meanwhile, officers from the Leeds West Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) attended Chaucer Gardens in Pudsey yesterday as part of the NPT’s week of action. Older residents received window alarms, door chimes, and were given useful crime prevention tips.