Problem families set to be thrown out of homes

Fights in the street, noise and intimidation are among complaints dealt with by police and Sandwell Council officers.

And now tenants at six properties in the Lost City area of Tipton have been served with possession notices on their homes.

The notices have been served on two properties in Hawthorn Road, two in Hall Lane and two in Coronation Road.

The occupants will now have to go to court where a judge will have the power to serve them an eviction notice.

The first court hearing is due to take place at Dudley County Court on April 9.

Complaints have been made about cars frequently turning up at the addresses, fights in the street and intimidation, police said.

However, reports are not coming from neighbours as they are said to be terrified of repercussions. Much of the intelligence comes from anonymous sources.

Tipton neighbourhood sergeant Steph Court said people with criminal records were living at all of the properties, however, were not necessarily the people named on the tenancy agreements.

"The people down there do not report anything, we get anonymous reports about the drug dealing, but it is the general behaviour.

"They cause a disturbance and all of the crime they commit is still a breach of the tenancy. People living at the properties have been involved in crime in and around Tipton and Sandwell areas.

"Some of the properties have been raided four or five times and at some of them illegal drugs have been found on every one and in some cases cannabis has been grown.

"There is a lot of intimidation on that estate and that is what we want to stop. We want to make it pleasant and for law-abiding people which I am sure it will be once they are gone."

Sandwell Inspector Akeel Najib said: "Police visited a number of homes in the Lost City area of Tipton in response to complaints about anti-social behaviour.

"A number of notices were served on individuals and these will be the subject of court hearings in due course."

The possession notices state the tenants have breached their tenancies.

Inspector Najib said:?"The breaches of tenancy are based on anti-social behaviour and crime and as a result we are working as a partnership to send a message out that we are not going to tolerate anti social behaviour or crime in that area. This is the first in a long process, there is now a legal process that we need to go through which will include court proceedings."