A WARNING shot has been fired at anti social council tenants in Hyndburn who make life hell for their neighbours.

If persuasion fails, council officers will use beefed-up legal powers to show troublemakers the door.

Councillors on the housing services committee welcomed new provisions in the 1996 Housing Act giving local authorities more scope to take action to combat anti social behaviour.

One of the increased powers will clamp down on intimidation by allowing someone other than the victim to give evidence if the council seeks eviction for nuisance.

Director of community services Edgar Bignell, said: "The bill takes the pressure off individuals to stand up and be counted.

"Is it an intimidating experience and we have had difficult investigations that have collapsed because of witness fright," he added.

Councillor Malcolm Peplow said persuasion was always the preferred course of action. He added: "No one is suggesting we issue eviction notices like confetti, but the power will enable us as an authority to warn people early on their behaviour is not acceptable and, if it continues, we can take action against them."

Mr Bigell stressed that while there were difficult people living in both the public and private sector within the borough, the vast majority of tenants were decent, law abiding folk.

Councillor Peter Britcliffe said: "There may not be more anti social behaviour but it is more vehement, more aggressive, more threatening and more destructive."

Councillor Peplow said there would be a cost in both time and money pursuing legal action.

But the cost of lack of enforcement is 'catastrophic' in massive levels of vandalism and criminal damage, he added.

Councillors called for a detailed report at the next meeting on the merits of adopting a scheme to put all new tenants in council houses and flats on probation for 12 months.

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