Closure orders have been secured at two cafes in Birmingham over repeated concerns about anti-social behaviour, including drug dealing.
We acted after receiving a number of complaints about the two cafes on Villa Road, Lozells, and boarded them up after successful applications at Birmingham Magistrates Court this month.
The orders are now in place at the Abyssinia Café and Champions Internet Café, which was boarded up on Monday (13 March).
The closures will be in place until 1 June and are a massive boost for the community, who have made repeated complaints about the sites.
On Tuesday, local officers informed nearby shops and businesses about what had happened and why, all were very supportive of the action taken, and in their words, they already believe the street is looking safer and cleaner.
The Lozells and East Handsworth Neighbourhood Team have been working hard to secure the closure orders.
Following an initial emergency closure and drugs warrant issued on 28 February, they had 48 hours to create a detailed case file for each site, going back to 1 January 2022.
It involved a lot of work in a tight amount of time, including detailed research into incident logs, crime reports, intelligence logs, witness statements, Body Worn Video footage, tax checks, landlords checks, consultation with partner agencies, licensing checks, planning checks, and person checks.
They also made several arrests and seized substantial amounts of drugs, weapons, cash and mobile phones.
The team received a lot of support from other departments and agencies, including the County Lines Team, legal services and the council.
PC Danny Fulford, Neighbourhood Officer for Lozells and East Handsworth, said: “This was a really good result, directly responding to concerns from people in the community.
“It will come as a huge relief to local people whose lives have been blighted by the anti-social behaviour and crime which originates from these premises.
“The three-month closure orders will allow the community the space, protection and rest it needs from the harm, anti-social behaviour and disorder it faced daily.
“I would like to thank people who came forward with their concerns. If you are worried about anti-social behaviour in your neighbourhood, please get in touch and let us know.”