In the hills next to North Yorks Moors is the close-knit community of Church beck cottages – a retirement housing complex built in 1969 and run by Beyond Housing.
The adaptable and accessible ground floor flats in Cloughton, Scarborough, is surrounded by thick woods and has a quaint pub across the road so, you would think it would be an ideal place to live, however, one resident proved this to be wrong.
The once quiet estate was filled with noise along with anti-social behaviour that caused a lot of distress to neighbours coming from house number 15.
This type of behaviour had gone on for a long time and was infuriating for the neighbours being woken by the metal clanging at all hours.Thankfully with enough complaints to the police, action was finally taken and the house was ‘closed down’ in May due to anti-social behaviour and crime linked to the address.
The property is now eerily empty with its curtains closed but a reminder of the order is on the door – stuck on by police tape. On the notice, North Yorkshire Police states that no one can from enter the building until August.
Anyone who breaks the order is committing a criminal offence and can be jailed for up to a year. However, the effect of the anti-social behaviour remains as many neighbours refused to talk about what happened in fear that they would be found out for talking to the press.
During a visit to the street, neighbours informed Yorkshire Live of frequent disturbances at the property, including groups creating a racket during the night by leaping over the ramp. This disruptive behaviour persisted for an extended period, much to the annoyance of residents disturbed by the clanging metal at all hours, reports Yorkshire Live.
Fortunately, after numerous complaints to the police, action was finally taken. The property was ‘closed down’ in May due to the anti-social behaviour and criminal activity associated with the address.
The property now stands hauntingly vacant, its curtains drawn and a police notice taped to the door serving as a stark reminder of the order. The notice from North Yorkshire Police stipulates that no one is permitted to enter the building until August.
Violation of this order constitutes a criminal offence, punishable by up to a year’s imprisonment.
One courageous neighbour shared a peculiar encounter she had with the former occupant.
She recounted: “One day he came to the house around 9pm one day to ask to use the phone. He seemed like a pleasant individual and his request seemed reasonable as he claimed to have lost his.
“He explained that he needed to contact his friends who were supposed to deliver his medication but were running late. He was meant to take it at 5pm, but it was already 9.
“The man made the call in my presence – it all appeared innocent and as if there was nothing to conceal.
“A few days later, he expressed his gratitude for letting him use the phone by dropping a letter through the door. Subsequently, we were advised by the police and the housing officer not to allow him to use the phone anymore.”
‘Hope he gets the support he needs’.
A neighbour recounted an eerie tale of a man seeking companionship, saying: “Soon after that he had posted another letter asking to use the phone again when we were both up – as our neighbours saw him walking around 5am, which must have been when he posted it. He seemed nice but lonely. I hope he gets the help and support he needs now.”
Meanwhile, some locals living further down from the sealed property were oblivious to the recent events.
One couple expressed their astonishment: “I am in shock and disbelief that such behaviour happened in this street. It is normally very quiet and peaceful here. We heard nothing about it. We are up early and go to bed around midnight – and we are not deaf, so I am surprised that we didn’t hear anything.’Quite strange'”My partner and I have lived here for 11 or 12 years, so we are one of the oldest people who live here and in all that time, even now, we have never had a problem with crime. It is quite strange how someone so young could be allowed to live here as it is meant to be for those who are elderly.
“In light of the house closure, neighbourhood Policing Inspector Emma Collins clarified: “Some people might not have heard of closure orders. We can only use them when there are significant, ongoing issues affecting the community.
“”We have to show the court that a case meets tough criteria, and we use them alongside other policing approaches too. But they’re an excellent way to disrupt criminal and antisocial behaviour.
And most importantly, residents in the wider community tell us they make a huge difference to their quality of life.”