A HOUSE at the centre of “horrendous” antisocial behaviour allegations has been closed and its occupants told to leave or face prosecution.

Neighbours of 36 Sandcroft Road in Dringhouses said they had endured years of hell from tenants at the rented property, including violent arguments, constant loud music, gangs of up to 20 youths gathering at the house, stone-throwing and verbal abuse.

Now, following evidence from neighbours, noise nuisance experts and police officers, the privately owned house is the subject of a three-month Premises Closure Order – only the fifth time the powers have been used by City of York Council since they were introduced in 2008.

Three former residents of the house, Adam Standing, Michael Evans and Amy Louise Evans are also the subject of injunction orders preventing them from entering Sandcroft Road or harassing or intimating residents.

One neighbour, speaking at the hearing at York Magistrates Court on Friday, said she had been made ill by the years of antisocial behaviour, which began in 2009.

“The last two years have been horrendous,” she said. “It’s ruined my life. I feel like I have been aged ten years.”

Another neighbour told the hearing that residents had been at the hands of the “feral horde affecting the street”.

Two of the five residents of number 36, who were not involved in the antisocial behaviour, represented themselves in court and argued that the closure order was no longer needed as the problem tenants had gone.

Neighbours admitted that the street had been “nice” since the eviction of Mr Standing on May 31; however, magistrates decided to uphold the decision to close the house for three months.

Coun Dafydd Williams, the council’s cabinet member for crime, said: “As in this case, the joint crackdown on antisocial behaviour demonstrated that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated, and those causing the nuisance received an unwanted closure notice”.

Chief Inspector Phil Cain, of York Safer Neighbourhood Command, said: police and the council would not tolerate those intent on causing antisocial behaviour.

THE neighbours of 36 Sandcroft Road kept a diary to use as evidence in the case. The 20-page dossier stretched back to December 2009, when police received a report of a female “kicking the front door of the property. Other incidents include:

February 2011 - Police acting on a search warrant discover cannabis and two sets of scales.

April 10, 2011 - Police investigate reports of a female being beaten up by four people at the property. The victim refused to provide a statement.

September 15, 2011 - Police investigate reports of a stabbing at the property and find a man with a wound to his back.

September 27, 2011 - A violent argument involving males and females spills into a neighbour’s front garden.

Feb 2012 - Neighbour reports stones being thrown around the street.

April 2012 - Neighbours intimidated by a gang of up to 20 youths in the garden of 36 Sandcroft Road.

May 21, 2012 - Two youths seen “boxing” in the street.

May 23, 2012 - Gang of 12 people go into the house carrying beer and are overheard saying they are going to “party and cause trouble”.