A Southport man has been evicted after causing around £20,000 worth of damage to his housing association property and using threatening behaviour towards the police.

Riverside was granted a possession order by Liverpool County Civil & Family Court and the tenant was evicted on Monday 30 April.

Riverside worked with Merseyside Police and partner agencies to help and support the tenant over a three-year period. But during this time he assaulted the police, perverted the cause of justice, made threats to police, neighbours feared him and he denied Riverside access to inspect the property for repairs.

Despite referrals to various support agencies, Riverside decided to take legal action on the grounds of anti-social behaviour and breach of tenancy.

Riverside Community Safety Officer Chris Hemlin said: “It’s been a long road. We tried to engage with the tenant but he wouldn’t cooperate, and when he showed threatening behaviour to others in the community we had to take action. Neighbours were too scared to come forward. This case was based on evidence collected by myself, Lynne Davies (housing management) and Scott Heneghan (asset management) within Riverside and the police.

“We want to assure our customers that when you report anti-social behaviour we will act on it, and will work with you to make sure that you can live in a safe neighbourhood. Some cases like this do take time, as we have to gather enough evidence to qualify for a possession order.”

The judge praised Riverside’s approach in dealing with the tenant’s personal circumstances, commenting that Riverside had acted appropriately by offering support to the tenant and with the tenant’s solicitors throughout the process.

Find out more about how to report anti-social behaviour in your neighbourhood here or to report any criminal activities anonymously then call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 1111.