A court has closed down a Harrogate council house for three months following claims a drug-dependent woman was being exploited by drug dealers.
Harrogate Borough Council, which owns the property on Cawthorne Avenue, applied to Harrogate Magistrates Court for a closure order on the property under Section 80 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2014.
A notice was served this week at the one-bedroom property, which has been occupied by a 27-year-old female tenant, who was named in court, since June 2021.
Harrogate Borough Council solicitor Lynne Ashton told the court yesterday the “draconian order” was necessary due to the tenant’s spiralling addiction to class A drugs and the fact that known dealers and users were regularly seen visiting when she was not there.
The court heard how council housing staff have made repeated attempts to visit the tenant due to ongoing problems at the house, which have included threats of violence towards neighbours.
Ms Ashton said there was intelligence that the house was being used as a crackhouse and the tenant “appeared to be the victim of cuckooing”.
Cuckooing is when drug dealers take over the home of a vulnerable person in order to use it as a base for drug dealing.
The tenant did not attend court to offer a defence.
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Squalid conditions
Ms Ashton read out a witness statement from a North Yorkshire Police officer who visited the property in April and found over 200 used needles in a bag.
The statement described the squalid conditions at the property, including a double mattress on a concrete living room floor with needles and other drug paraphernalia scattered around.
The officer’s statement said:
“I was disgusted. It was one of the worst houses I’ve ever been in my career as a police officer”.
Ms Ashton also told the court that the house was near Willow Tree Primary School and there were concerns about used needles being left outside when children walk to school.
The court agreed to close the property for three months, effective immediately.
Ms Ashton said the tenant will be offered a place at Fern House, a specialist hostel for homeless people in Starbeck operated by Harrogate Borough Council.
Discarded drugs needles found in StarbeckStarbeck resident Hayley Wilson said she was “disgusted” to find five discarded needles, believed to be used for drug taking, when walking her dog yesterday morning.
She told the Stray Ferret she found the needles on Prospect Road in Starbeck and returned with rubber gloves to put them in a plastic tub after she took her dog home.
She said:
“I was walking my dog which went near them. I’m a care worker and I’m going to do the right thing. What if a kid had picked them up?”
Ms Wilson said it’s the first time she has found needles in Starbeck but urged people to be vigilant, especially after snow has fallen.
The needles were found in the road.
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Harrogate Borough Council says if someone finds a discarded needle or syringe in a public place, don’t touch it and contact them straight away on 01423 500600, or complete the online reporting form, giving us as much detail as possible about the location.
The council will safely and hygienically dispose of it, using a sharps box and protective clothing.