POLICE have hailed a ‘tremendous victory for residents’ after magistrates closed a Blackburn home blighted by anti-social behaviour.

The family named on the closure notice moved out of the home in Leamington Road, Blackburn, over the weekend.

The town’s magistrates were told the former residents were ‘not fit to live among decent people’.

And in making the order under the Anti-Social Behaviour act the bench said they appreciated the years of ‘stress and nuisance’ that had been endured by neighbours of the property.

Police had been called to the home 43 times in two years amid complaints about drunken behaviour, swearing, shouting, fighting, loud music and dog-related nuisance.

The closure notice named David Smalley, 63, Barbara Gretch, 46, Carl Gretch, 33, Faye Bower, 22, a 14-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy as being subject to the action.

Maude Pickup, whose house in Lynwood Road backs on to the property, told the court her backyard wall had been smeared with mud by people living at the house after she had it painted.

She told the court she had scrubbed it clean and they had then smeared it with dog excrement.

“I have had lots of abuse from them and couldn’t sit in my own backyard because of the disgusting language.

“They are not fit to live amongst decent people.”

Daphne McKenna, of Leamington Road, told the court her life had been blighted by the playing of loud music at all hours of the day and night, drunken behaviour and loud arguments.

Zabeer Dhaji, the next-door neighbour, told of people being sick on the front of her house and loud music and loud noise disturbing her family’s prayers during Ramadan.

Chris Kehoe, making the closure application on behalf of the police, said that despite reports the occupants had moved out, it was still important for the order to be made.

The owner of the house David Smalley said he had spoken to the tenant on numerous occasions and tried to improve her behaviour.

He said the property was now in a ‘terrible state’ and he was going to arrange for it to be completely refurbished as soon as possible.

The order means the house will be shut for three months.

Anyone who fails to be abide by the order faces imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of up to £5,000.

After the case, Police Constable Gary Hennigan said it was a ‘tremendous result for the local community’.

He said: “This closure order ends years of anti-social behaviour for residents. It has taken a lot of bravery for them to give witness statements.”