Positive partnership working brings calm to a Great Ayton neighbourhood

Collective action taken by residents, police, housing and community safety officials against problem families has restored a sense of peace in Great Ayton.

The two families living in the village's Central Way were behaving in such an anti-social manner that it was blighting the lives of nearby residents.

Incidents included damage, violence and discarding empty beer cans and broken bottles in other people's gardens. Also drunken people wandering around the area at all times of the day, using loud and offensive language and stopping neighbours from using their gardens.

Residents formed an action group which worked with the local Safer Neighbourhood Team, Broadacres Housing Association and Hambleton and Richmondshire Community Safety Partnership, to gather the necessary evidence to support legal action to have the problem families moved out of the houses.

Broadacres had successfully taken out an injunction against the head of the household responsible for the majority of the anti-social behaviour. The housing association were only weeks away from repossessing the property when the families moved out voluntarily.

Sergeant Simon Wilson, of Stokesley Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: "It is very pleasing that we have been able to make positive links with the residents of Central Way and helped to improve their quality of life.

"Anti-social behaviour is an issue the police take very seriously as we know how detrimental it can be on communities.

Sergeant Wilson added: "Although we have been able to bring an end to this particular issue, the local Safer Neighbourhood Team will continue to work with Neighbourhood Watch groups and other partners to help solve community problems which may arise so that they can be tackled at an early stage."

Gill Haigh, Director of Housing for Broadacres, said: "The anti-social behaviour displayed by these families is not something, as landlords, we will tolerate. Broadacres will continue to work with residents and partner agencies to manage issues at the earliest possible stage.

"If we need to take legal action against residents who make the lives of their neighbours a misery, we will use the full extent of the law."

A local resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "The change in the neighbourhood has been just amazing. Kids are now playing in the street and we're able to enjoy going into our gardens again without finding empty beer cans and suffering abuse from the problem families.

"I know that the whole community is really grateful to the police and Broadacres for their work."

16 October 2012