A South Bank family who have become the first in the UK to be evicted under new powers say the decision to force them from their home is “disgusting”.
Caroline Beck and her four children have been accused of making their neighbours' lives hell for more than two years.
They were evicted today after authorities built up a file of evidence alleging deliberate fires, criminal damage, illegal use of off-road motorbikes, noise nuisance and other antisocial behaviour.
A covert operation to gather CCTV evidence of their behaviour was also mounted.
But Ms Beck blasted the move to oust her and her 12-year-old daughter Billy-Jo and sons Dan, 21, Arron, 19 and Mark, 15 from their double-fronted Steele Crescent home.
The 39-year-old said: “To say we’ve made our neighbours’ lives hell is disgusting. My neighbours, 99% of them, have said our eviction is a disgrace.
“People are saying my kids are causing all this anti-social behaviour? There’s a youth club and a skate park just around the corner. When they clear out, all the kids gather on the corner near my house.
“None of my kids have criminal records, three of them have qualifications, one of them’s a prefect at St Peter’s School. How can they be named for anti-social behaviour?
“There’s an old man on the estate who said, ‘I aren’t half going to miss your son, he always walks me through the cut when it’s dark and he held my arm all the way when it was icy’”.
The eviction is the first in the UK to be agreed solely on the grounds of antisocial behaviour (ASB) under section 80 of the Antisocial Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014.
Cleveland Fire Brigade, social housing firm Coast and Country Housing and Redcar and Cleveland Council and Cleveland Police worked together to secure the eviction.
Authorities said efforts made to support the Beck family had failed and led police to apply for an antisocial behaviour closure notice on the house.
The order was upheld today at Teesside Magistrates’ Court, although the family left the property three weeks ago.
Ms Beck added: “I’ve lived at that house for 12 years - All that mess outside is what has happened in the three weeks since we were evicted. People reading the paper will think that’s how we had it when we lived there - that’s just not true.
“These powers that have been used to evict us have only been in force since last year. They’ve used us like guinea pigs.”
South Bank Neighbourhood Sergeant Steve Chambers said the force was “delighted” that the the closure notice has been approved.
He said: “As neighbourhood police officers, we work to ensure our communities are safe places to live and work without the fear of crime, harassment and ASB which can blight the lives of the law abiding majority.
“Today’s ruling should send out a very clear message that police and partners will not tolerate persistent antisocial behaviour and criminality and we will use every tool at our disposal to deal with anyone taking part in this.”
Barbara Watson, Coast and Country area manager added: “Coast and Country has worked extensively with Cleveland Police and partners to address the anti-social behaviour perpetrated by this family and recently, as part of our investigations, set up a covert operation to gather CCTV evidence of their behaviour.
“In this case the anti-social behaviour was intolerable and decisive action was taken and we would like to thank all the organisations involved.”
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