Troublemakers will not be tolerated as council gets tough

COUNCIL chiefs in Carmarthenshire are getting tough with the neighbours from hell who are making people's lives a misery.

A family in Llanelli's Cefncaeu area have been evicted after a court order was gained to boot them out.

Residents worked with the council to gather evidence to evict the family following a long period of anti-social behaviour.

Area housing manager Les James said: "The family had been causing problems for some time including noise nuisance, friends coming and going causing disturbances, dumping rubbish, having an untidy garden, being abusive to neighbours and generally being a bad neighbour.

"This family were making their neighbours' lives hell and thought we couldn't touch them."

As part of a general war on neighbours from hell the council has taken out a restraining order as part of possession proceedings against an un-named Llanelli tenant who assaulted his partner and a housing officer. The tenant has since voluntarily surrendered his tenancy.

The injunction, a court order with the power of arrest if the tenants breaches it, forbade the tenant from causing a nuisance or annoyance to Carmarthenshire Council or any residents in the area, and from making threats of violence.

Where there have been "serious issues of anti-social behaviour, the council has been successful in demoting tenancies, sending a clear message that any further breaches of tenancy will not be tolerated.

A council spokesman said: "Once the tenancy has been demoted and there continues to be breaches, eviction is inevitable."

Another tenant in Llanelli who behaved anti-socially has had his secure tenancy demoted to a 12-month probationary tenancy.

A Tyisha man now faces being demoted because of his anti-social behaviour.

Head of housing, Robin Staines, said: "This is a result of the council and the community working together to send out a strong message that we will not tolerate anti-social behaviour on our estates.

Executive board member for housing and public protection, councillor Hugh Evans, said: "People who behave anti-socially and persistently breach their tenancy conditions by making their neighbours' lives hell will face being evicted.

"The council is applying the law where necessary to those who are involved in anti-social behaviour. If there is supported evidence against perpetrators, we will take tough action."

Community Safety Partnership chairman and Carmarthenshire Council chief executive, Mark James, said: "Tackling anti-social behaviour is a priority for the CSP. I would urge people suffering from anti-social behaviour to report any incidents to their local neighbourhood policing team or to our contact centre on 01267 234567."