A NEIGHBOUR from hell has been banned from entering her own home in a landmark court ruling.
Vale Royal Magistrates issued a closure order, the first of its kind in Cheshire, on Friday to prevent Marie Seddon from entering her home in Waterbank Row, Northwich.
Drug-addict Seddon, 39, was also hit with an interim Anti-social Behaviour Order stopping her entering her former street after it was revealed neighbours were so scared of her they would not walk past her house alone, while many families prevented children playing in nearby gardens.
Supt Tim Jackson, commander of Congleton and Vale Royal Police, said: 'This woman's behaviour has been totally unacceptable, an opinion which is obviously shared by the court in view of the ruling.
'Residents can rest assured that they can now enjoy the peace and quiet they deserve.
'The rest of the community can also seek comfort from our actions. We are committed to stamping out this problem behaviour and this is not the end. Neighbours often get frustrated because they feel nothing is being done to address these types of problems, but I can assure them that we are working hard behind the scenes to address these problems.'
The court decided to close the property for three months after hearing of suspected supply and use of Class A drugs and that Seddon and her associates had caused a serious nuisance to her neighbours.
Crime records show the number of incidents in the area increased dramatically since her arrival in 2002, from zero incidents in 2001 to 18 in 2003 and more than 15 in the first six months of 2004.
The Order makes anyone who enters the house during the next three months liable to be arrested. It is expected an application will be made to repossess the property and re-let it to a new tenant.
Detective Inspector Andy Southcott, based at Northwich Police Station, said: 'This ruling should send out a clear message to everyone in the drugs network. No matter what your involvement, or where you are, there are ways we can put a stop to your behaviour and we'll continue to use them until we're satisfied that law-abiding citizens have the quality of life they deserve.
'This case is proof that if we all work together we can deliver results.
'Deal in drugs and you run the risk of losing your home and going to prison.'
A spokeswoman for Muir Housing, which owns the property, said: 'We absolutely will not tolerate such criminal behaviour in our properties or on our housing schemes. This is a major success for Cheshire Constabulary and Muir Group and a clear indication that our partnership working with the police is tackling such problems head-on.'
