West Mercia Police and enforcement officers have successfully evicted a man from a property following a number of drug and anti-social behaviour offences.
A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said:
“At 10am on Friday, police officers from Malvern Safer Neighbourhood Team, in collaboration with enforcement officers and Platform Housing, successfully conducted the eviction of Mr. David HOW (aged 63) from his residence at 129 Elgar Avenue, Pickersleigh, Malvern.
“This eviction follows a series of incidents related to drug activity and anti-social behavior at the property.
“The concerns regarding 129 Elgar Avenue were initially raised seven years ago when the address became a frequent meeting point for known drug users in the area.
“Recognising the seriousness of the situation, the police, along with Platform Housing, intervened by placing a cuckooing notice on the property. Cuckooing is a concerning practice where vulnerable individuals are exploited, and their homes are utilised by county lines drug dealers for illegal activities.
“Subsequently, officers regularly visited the property to address the issue, successfully dispersing problem individuals from the property and safeguarding Mr How.
“However, after a period without issues, drug users began returning to the address, and reports of anti-social behaviour, including noise complaints, shouting, and fights, surfaced once again.
“Taking swift action, the police reinstated the cuckooing status, resulting in several arrests.
“Despite various efforts, including attempts to relocate Mr How to a new address in a different town, he refused to cooperate, and it became evident that he was actively encouraging and facilitating drug activity at his residence.
“Over the past few months, Platform Housing and local police officers meticulously gathered evidence of the ongoing anti-social behaviour at 129 Elgar Avenue.
“Statements from residents and community impact statements provided crucial evidence for the court when Platform Housing applied to repossess the property.
“After a thorough legal process and a three-month appeal period, during which Mr HOW presented no arguments to remain at the address, the courts granted the eviction order.
“Throughout this period, despite continuous advice and requests from the police, the tenant continued to allow numerous individuals into his residence, leading to several police interventions, including a notable incident where a violent male had to be tasered.
PC David Olczak of the Pickersleigh and Chase safer neighbourhood team expressed, “It has been a very complex and frustrating process in evicting David from 129 Elgar Avenue. At first, we believed him to be a vulnerable victim of Cuckooing and did everything in our power to protect and safeguard him. More recently, it has become clear that although David has health vulnerabilities, he is by no means the innocent party in the activities that were happening at the address. I and a number of members of the local Policing team have paid him numerous visits and removed persons from his address and made arrests of persons within the address.”
“In consideration of Mr. David HOW’s health conditions, temporary accommodation away from the Malvern area has been provided until a more suitable placement can be arranged for him.
“The successful eviction of Mr. David HOW from 129 Elgar Avenue will hopefully restore peace and security to the residents of Elgar Avenue, who have endured years of sleepless nights and various forms of anti-social behaviour associated with incidents at his address.”
