POLICE in Callington have sent a strong message to landlords that anti-social behaviour by tenants will not be tolerated, after securing what is believed to be the first Asbo closure order of a privately-rented residence in Cornwall.

The Asbo was made at Bodmin Magistrates Court following two years of anti-social behaviour and abuse to residents of Moonsfield in Callington from tenants living at number 8.

Sgt Brett Philips said this week that landlords should be under no illusion that police would not take similar action again if they needed to.

He said: 'This is the first Asbo of its kind in Cornwall against a private landlord.

'This legislation has previously been used to close premises which are concerned with the supply of drugs, but recently the law has been extended to include incidents of an anti-social nature.

'It sends a strong signal to landlords that this sort of behaviour will be not be tolerated.'

Police sought legal advice after complaints from residents escalated at the beginning of last summer. One resident, who did not wish to be named, said she had to endure intimidating behaviour, vandalism and threats.

'These people were nightmare tenants and they brought in their friends — groups of up to 30 people at a time,' she said.

'I am pleased that the police have managed to get this order, they have worked very hard and now we will have some respite.'

Another resident said they had taken to living with the curtains closed but this would still not block out the abuse: 'I've lived in war zones but I have never been so frightened in my life as I have living here.'

One resident kept a diary of incidents. She said two of the neighbours near the house were too upset to give statements.

'There was one tenant who was good, never caused trouble, and helped us and the police, but he suffered as well,' she said.

Landlord of the property Bruce Burton claimed it was one bad tenant who caused trouble and the other 'completely innocent' tenants were being made homeless by the police action.

'I think it's a complete injustice that working people living in a shared house get evicted because of the behaviour of one dodgy tenant. It seems that anybody else in the property gets tarred with the same brush.

'I consider myself a victim too because I'll lose a lot of rent.'

Town councillor Jeremy Gist said that in the past few years there had been two individual Asbos in Callington and now this one, the first of its kind in Cornwall.

'We acknowledge there has been a problem in Callington but we are no different to any other town,' he said.

'I think what this latest action does show is just how pro-actively the police are dealing with it here.'