Peterborough house described as a "hub of criminality" closed after months of hell for neighbours

A Peterborough home has been closed by police for three months after neighbours described going through “months of hell”.

The order was issued to 74 Birchwood, Orton Goldhay, by the local Neighbourhood Policing Team on Wednesday (January 25).

The order states that the house is subject to a closure order as its use has resulted in disorderly, offensive or criminal behaviour, causing serious nuisance to members of the public.

The property is closed to any person until April 24– failure to comply is a criminal offence which could result in imprisonment for up to three months, a fine, or both.

Neighbours have spoken of problems at the property going as far back as two years, including drug use, noise and the use of sex workers.

The order represents the end result of months of police work to collate the experience of residents and gather witness statements. Some neighbours described not being able to leave their homes without running into someone drunk or under the influence of drugs.

PC Brady Slack, from the south Peterborough NPT, said: “There has been a longstanding case of disarray at the property with many complaints being made by local residents over the last few months, including violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and anti-social behaviour.

“Drug use, dealing and associated exploitation and violence in the Ortons has been set as a priority for our team to tackle, following consultation with the public.

“This latest action is just one example of the work we are doing to make our communities a better place.”

The team were accompanied by Chief Constable Nick Dean, who joined the team for the day as part of national Neighbourhood Policing Week.

He said: “It was great to join the team today and see first-hand the brilliant work they are doing within Peterborough. This is a great example of problem-solving and taking extra steps to enhance the quality of life and make people feel safer in their communities.

“I spoke with one woman who told me how they had been going through hell these last few months. For people to come out of their homes to thank us for the action taken shows just how impactful the work of our neighbourhood teams is within our communities.

“I want to thank our communities for their ongoing support – through working with us and providing us with information or raising concerns, our teams are able to act on that and are better equipped to tackle the issues in the hearts of our communities and make Cambridgeshire a safer place.”