Anti-social tenants evicted from Dawlish flat

I was pleased to read that two men, Simon Goy and David Johnson, have been turfed out from their flat in Dawlish. Apparently their aggressive, noisy and drunken behaviour was making life absolutely hell for the neighbours and, using the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003 police are able to close any residential property for three months if the courts rule that persistent disorder has taken place.

In this instance this is indeed what Newton Abbot magistrates found so police and council staff removed personal items from the flat and then changed the locks and boarded up the flat. Dawlish is in the Teignbridge District Council area but Teignbridge will not find alternative accommodation for these two men as they are considered to be "intentionally homeless". Someone else in another part of the country might therefore be burdened with these two as neighbours.

I'm glad to see this legislation being used, maybe other 'Neighbours from Hell' might take note from this particular case but I doubt it. For too long now our legal system has been more than tolerant of these sorts of people and the only way is to get really tough with them.