PEOPLE have been banned from entering a house in Bacup that was being used as a 'drugs den', a court was told.

Magistrates in Reedley adjourned a hearing to consider implementing East Lancashire's first closure order at a private rented address in Yorkshire Street.

Police have imposed an interim ban on anyone entering the house.

The notice of the closure order says that everybody, apart from the tenant, is banned from the address.

Police executed a drugs warrant at the house.

Neighbours had claimed the property was being used to buy and sell drugs.

The house was searched and a quantity of a substance, believed to be heroin was found.

Police used a closure order, under the Anti Social Behaviour Act, to serve notice on the address that it was subject to the order. Niamh Noone, solicitor to the chief constable, Paul Stephenson, told the court: "The house is on the main street in Bacup. It has been a blight to local businesses by what's going on in the premises.

"The new legislation has been brought in to protect the community and has been brought in with a view to taking swift action being taken in areas where we know, not suspect drug dealing is taking place."

Magistrates adjourned the hearing until May 5 for the tenant to put together a case as to why the order should not be made.

Three people were arrested after the raid on Wednesday morning.

One man has been released on police bail pending further inquiries and another male and female were released without charge.