Neighbours 'extremely grateful' after police issue closure order on Gainsborough house

The property at 4 High Street, Gainsborough, is now off-limits for three months after officers from the Gainsborough Neighbourhood Policing Team sought the court order as part of the police’s on-going work to protect communities from being victims of anti-social behaviour and related crime.

There are now formal court notices posted on the building, explaining that the closure order prohibits anyone from remaining in or entering the property with a few exceptions to allow maintenance, utilities, emergency services and postal services, or the property owner and any future authorised tenants.

If anyone does anything prohibited by this order, they are liable for arrest and could receive up to 51 week in prison, or a fine, or both.

The closure was granted on Friday, March 21, and is in place until 11.59pm on June 20, 2025.

The court deemed that making a closure order was necessary to prevent future serious nuisance, similar behaviour, or disorder, finding that a person has engaged in anti-social behaviour on the premises; the use of the premises is associated with a significant and persistent disorder, or persistent nuisance to members of the public.

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Mike Head said: "Officers had responded to repeated calls in connection with this property, stemming back to 2021.

“In recent months, issues escalated with far more reports of anti-social behaviour and potential criminal activity connected to the address.

“One of the neighbours has had to move out due to all the noise, which is completely unacceptable. There are broader issues affecting the community as well, with rubbish everywhere and even men urinating in the passageway.

“There were lots of complaints made to the housing association, and a great deal of evidence gathered including information about the types of incident, and dates and times things happened, which all helped with our application to the court.

“The local residents who have been so plagued by the activity connected to this property were extremely grateful when we attended to close it in full, with some saying they would get a good night’s sleep for the first time in ages.

“This is why we do what we do, and it wouldn’t have been possible without all the support of those local residents."

Officers made use of the of ASB legislation which enabled them to take statements anonymously from people who felt too frightened to put their name to a complaint.

The police would like to thank the community for the help they have given them in gathering evidence and information which has been used to secure the closure order.