TENANT EVICTED OVER ‘DRUGS, PROSTITUTION AND VIOLENCE’
THREE-MONTH CLOSURE ORDER AGREED AFTER COUNCIL GOES TO COURT
A COURT has made a three-month closure order on a flat because of “drug dealing, visits by sex workers, and violence”.
Leicester City Council had applied to evict tenant Ashraf Miah from his flat on the fourth floor of Elizabeth House, next to Leicester railway station.
The 47-year-old failed to attend a court hearing yesterday morning.
After magistrates made the order, police were expected to go and remove Miah from the flat and secure it.
A FLAT in a tower block has been closed because of drug dealing, prostitution and violence.
Magistrates made a three-month closure order on the property on the fourth floor of Elizabeth House, next to Leicester railway station.
Leicester City Council had applied to evict tenant Ashraf Miah.
The 47-year-old failed to attend a court hearing yesterday morning and magistrates were told he would not come out of the flat.
Though a notice was served on Miah on Tuesday he could not be made to leave until the court made the closure order.
Vivienne Sedgley, representing the council, said: “The reason the council is making the application is due to serious concern about what is happening in the property.
“There is the dealing and use of class A drugs in the property. There have visitors at all times of the day and night.”
She said drugs paraphernalia had been found outside the flat and drugs had been recovered by police.
“The police know certain females visiting the flat to be sex workers and sex workers have offered sex for drugs,” Ms Sedgley said.
She described violence associated with Miah’s flat which included him punching a woman in the face and threatening two more with a pool cue.
The court was shown eight CCTV clips, including violent incidents outside Miah’s flat and drug deals.
Ms Sedgley said: “This is causing serious concern not only to the council and the police but to neighbours, who are disturbed by the coming and going of strangers at all times of the day and night.”
She said the council’s move had also been prompted by concern for the welfare of some of the visitors to the flat.
Ms Sedgley said: “Primarily, the opportunities given to him, that he has not engaged with, leave the council with no other option than to apply for a closure order.
The building is managed by Waterloo Housing Association.
One member of staff at the building said he had heard screams coming from the property and, on another occasion, had been assaulted by another man when he knocked on the door.
Association operations manager Peter Farmer confirmed the notice was served on Miah at 4pm yesterday and that it prohibited anyone from visiting him but that it had already been breached by a man who came round at 10pm and stayed for an hour.
After magistrates made the order police were set to remove Miah and secure the flat.