A family which plagued their community with antisocial behaviour has been evicted from their home after the council took them to court.
Michelle Williams of Derlwyn Street, Phillipstown, New Tredegar, was issued with a Possession Order by Blackwood County Court after a catalogue of incidents in and around the property.
Caerphilly County Borough Council sought possession of the tenancy due to the antisocial, criminal and nuisance behaviour of Williams’ 16-year old son Keane, who was handed an Antisocial Behaviour Order in January 2009.
The council acted following a serious incident at the property in April 2009 when Williams’ sons were joined by other youths who were drinking alcohol at the property.
That evening the group of youths damaged another property and parked cars in the street. They had weapons on them including a hammer and crow bar, were verbally abusive and made serious threats to individuals.
Keane Williams was part of this group and, as the tenant, his mother was responsible for the behaviour of all persons that lived at or visited the property.
The council has said that effective partnership work between it, Gwent Police and local residents was crucial in securing the eviction.
Councillor Cllr Lyn Ackerman, cabinet member for the environment said: “I hope that the repossession of this tenancy acts as a stark reminder to the small minority of people who feel that committing antisocial acts is acceptable, that they will not get away with it.
“We have a number of tools available to us to deal with anti-social behaviour and general nuisance incidents, and we are not afraid to use them to ensure that our residents can go about their lives feeling safe and secure in their communities.
“I would also like to draw particular attention to the courage and determination of those residents who worked alongside us and our partners at Gwent Police, to provide vital evidence in court as part of the possession proceedings.”
Inspector Fran Richley, of Gwent Police, said: “This demonstrates how we work together with our partners to address the problems that are being experienced in communities.
“We hope that this sends out a clear message to local residents that we take incidents of antisocial behaviour seriously and that we work to take action against those who are having a negative impact on the community.”
Local councillor Gerald Jones, who lives on the street affected by the Williams family, said: “The actions of this young individual was having a serious detrimental effect, not only on the residents of Derlwyn Street, but on the Phillipstown community in general. This kind of behaviour is not acceptable to law abiding members of the community.”