A property in Gloucester, connected to drug dealing and anti-social behaviour, has been served with a three-month closure order.
The order was successfully secured for the property in the Barton area by officers from the Gloucester Neighbourhood Policing and Vanguard teams and with the support of Solace.
The agencies presented the court with substantial evidence of drugs being dealt from within the property, which was being falsely operated as a cafe and tea room.
The court also heard how Vanguard officers found and seized cannabis and cocaine worth an estimated £5,700 during a search of the property on 9 October. Drug paraphernalia was also discovered.
Magistrates granted the closure order at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court on 20 November, deeming it necessary to prevent the continuation of disorder and criminal offences at the address.
The order prevents anyone except from certain named individuals and certain agencies to be inside or on the property.
Failure to comply with the order is a criminal offence which could result in imprisonment for up to three months, a fine, or both.
The order will be in effect until 19 February 2025 and officers from the Neighbourhood Policing Team will make regular checks on the property to ensure the closure order is being adhered to.
Sergeant Tom Francis, from the Gloucester Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Securing a closure order on this address has been a great collaborative effort between police and our council partners.
“This address had sadly become a well-known hub for crime and anti-social behaviour that was making the lives of nearby business owners a misery.
“Our teams, with assistance from Solace, have carried out a lengthy and detailed investigation into what had been happening in and around the property and I hope the community are reassured by the positive action we’ve taken to shut it down.
“We will not tolerate drug dealing and the criminality that is associated with it and we will do everything within our powers to stop it.”
Anyone who has concerns or intelligence about drug dealing can report this to police online by using the following link or by calling 101: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/soh/seen-or-heard/.
Alternatively you can report information anonymously through the independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or visiting their website: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously