A CLOSURE order has been granted for an address in Salisbury following a spate of anti-social behaviour, suspected drug dealing and violence related issues.

The closure order was granted at Salisbury Magistrates Court today, August 6, for a privately rented address in Barnard Street.

It follows multiple calls to the address by residents nearby concerned about illegal drug activity and other associated criminal activity.

The closure order will remain in place for one month and will mean that nobody other than the landlord can enter the premises.

Anyone who breaches this, will be committing an offence and may be arrested.

PC Mark Douglas said: “We have been working extremely hard with partners to tackle some of the issues currently being experienced in Barnard Street and we hope that the closure order for this specific property will help put a stop to a lot of the issues in the area.

“We have been listening to the residents living nearby and their concerns – we know that many have been putting up with issues stemming from this address for a while and this will not be tolerated. It is unacceptable that the behaviour of a small number of individuals should impact so negatively on others and we are determined to deal with this kind of behaviour robustly.

“Residents may see officers in the area in the coming weeks as we continue to monitor the address and ensure the order is being adhered to.”

Insp Pete Sparrow added: “Although we have seen a spike in local incidents where individuals have been identified for specific offences, it is important to note that violent crime is down in the city centre by 24 per cent from April to June (2019 – 2020). This very localised spike has been robustly addressed and will not be tolerated in an otherwise safe city. This closure order will further help reassure residents that we are committed to tackling crime and keeping people safe within our community.”

Cllr Richard Clewer, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “This closure order is a positive result for the local community and emphasises the importance of partnership working between our officers and Wiltshire Police.

“The order sends out a clear message that anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated, and we will continue to work with Wiltshire Police to take the appropriate action to keep our communities safe.”

Anyone wishing to report concerns should call 101 or 999 if a crime is in progress.