A nuisance neighbour who plagued her community with anti-social behaviour has been turned out from her property.

Between 2019 and 2022 Dudley Council and West Midlands Police received numerous and persistent complaints of nuisance behaviour and drug taking and/or dealing with residents living in fear, alarm and distress.

The council property, rented by Elaine Lewis from Oak Street, Netherton had been under a partial closure order since March 16, which allowed her and her sons to stay in the property but prohibited anyone else from entering. This was persistently breached with visitors attending the property daily and anti-social behaviour continuing.

Dudley Council worked closely with West Midlands Police and last week the council was successful in being granted a full closure order, effective until June 16 2022. This means she and her adult sons are barred from the property during this time. The council will monitor the situation and consider applying for an extension to this order and will be pursuing a county court action to end the tenancy. Lewis faces £1134 in costs. Councillor Laura Taylor-Childs, cabinet member for housing and communities, said:

"Implementing a full closure order is a serious undertaking and something we only feel the need to pursue with the most troublesome of tenants. Ms Lewis had made life unbearable for her neighbours and we were forced to take this action, with the full support of the police.

"It’s important that people feel safe in their communities and we will not sit by and let people live in fear. We take anti-social behaviour incredibly seriously and will not baulk at taking this kind of action in extreme cases."