Drug dealers will be evicted

Aug 25 2012 by Kenneth Speirs, Paisley Daily Express

ROGUE tenants who grow or deal drugs in their council houses could be booted out of their homes.

East Renfrewshire Council tenants who break the law by growing or selling illegal substances in their homes will be shown the door, following the eviction last week of a tenant from his Barrhead flat.

Local authority bosses said the man was convicted at Paisley Sheriff Court in 2011 in relation to the cultivation of 38 cannabis plants in his council house.

Housing officers successfully obtained a decree to evict the tenant from his home.

A council spokesman said: “The message should be absolutely clear. If you’re convicted of dealing or cultivating drugs within one of our properties, you won’t be a tenant any longer.

“We have adopted a zero-tolerance approach to tenants dealing drugs from our properties and we will also take the strongest possible action against tenants who behave in an anti-social manner in our tenancies.

“The vast majority of our housing tenants are good law-abiding people and shouldn’t have to put up with a tenant using their council home for this type of illegal activity.

“Our housing service will continue to work closely with Strathclyde Police to ensure drug dealers are removed from decent neighbourhoods.

“There is no place in East Renfrewshire for drug dealers. We already have a number of court actions ongoing against drug dealers and a number of tenants have been evicted or have surrendered their homes prior to an eviction decree being granted.”

The council’s new tough stance on anti-social behaviour further came into play recently when the council’s housing tenancy service’s enforcement officer was successful in an application at Paisley Sheriff Court to have a full Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) issued to another Barrhead council house tenant following complaints from neighbours about his behaviour.

The council made the application to the court after the tenant continued on a course of anti-social behaviour, despite several warnings from police, community wardens and the housing service.

An Interim ASBO had previously been issued after numerous complaints alleging the tenant had subjected neighbours to various forms of anti-social behaviour, including playing music at an excessively loud level, and shouting and swearing, bosses said.

The full order now prohibits the tenant from playing music, television or audio equipment at excessive levels, or singing, screaming, shouting, swearing or being abusive, or slamming, banging, thumping walls and floors within his council property.

If you have any concerns about anti-social behaviour, you can report through the council’s free and confidential ‘Ring and Report’ helpline, which is available round the clock on 0800 013 0076. You can also contact the Housing Service on 0141 577 3001 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555.111.

You can also visit www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk