Coronavirus: Police called to single house 30 times in a month over flouting of lockdown restrictions

Officers have now slapped property with closure order – legal device normally used to shut down troubled pubs and clubs

Police in Cheshire have been called to a single house 30 times over coronavirus lockdown rules being broken, it has emerged.

Officers have repeatedly had to visit the property in Widnes because of groups of people gathering there for day-long parties.

Now, after multiple fines apparently failed to deter visitors, Cheshire Police have slapped the home with a closure order – a legal device normally used to shut down troubled pubs and clubs.

It means the property’s tenant will be committing a crime, and face a six-month sentence, should anyone else be found at the house in the next three months.

It is thought to be the first time such a drastic measure has been taken against a domestic property in relation to the current pandemic.

A spokesperson for Cheshire Police said: “A closure order has been imposed on a house in Widnes in response to persistent anti-social behaviour and breaches of the current coronavirus regulations.

“Over the past month, officers have attended the address in Foster Street on more than 30 occasions, to deal with reports of groups of people gathering inside and outside the house and blighting the community with bad behaviour.

“As well as ensuring anyone who does not live at the property leaves the area, officers have issued persistent visitors with fixed penalty notices for refusing to comply with the regulations imposed by the government to protect the NHS and save lives during the coronavirus pandemic.”

The force added that, when this failed, they were granted the closure order at Warrington Magistrates Court on Friday.

Police Constable Ian Prashar said: “The behaviour of people inside and outside the address in Foster Street caused those living in nearby properties significant alarm, harassment and distress.”

He added: “I am delighted that the closure order has been secured and I want to thank the members of the public who played a key role in this. The information they supplied was crucial in us gathering the evidence needed to secure the order.”

He added that officers would now be regularly checking the order was being complied with.