A UK court has banned two Indian- origin brothers from entering their own home in Birmingham for three months after complaints from the neighbours that the house was being used as a drug den.
Balbir, 46, and Surjit Ginda Ram, 44, face the rare prospect of their home being under police lockdown under tough new anti-social behaviour rules.
The closure order, believed to be the first of its kind in the West Midlands region of England, bars the brothers from entering the house for at least three months because of alleged dealing and other drugs activity.
"We've worked closely with Birmingham City Council to resolve this problem as swiftly as possible. Despite many attempts by officers to help the brothers to change their ways, their behaviour did not improve," said Sergeant Nin Rattu from West Midlands Police.
"The impact on the community became so great that we had no choice other than to apply to the courts for a closure order and move them on," he added.
The property was boarded up last week, according to the local Birmingham Mail newspaper.
Any person who attempts to enter the property for three months it is sealed will automatically be guilty of an offence and brought before the court.
Under new powers in Britain, if the police or council are satisfied that a particular property is causing nuisance to neighbours, a notice can be served which limits access to the property for a specified period of time.
The court can then support that notice by issuing a closure order for a period of three months which bans all access to the property.
"I praise the commitment of staff from both Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Police and local residents for taking a stand in this case," said Councillor James McKay, Cabinet Member Social Cohesion, Equalities & Community Safety at Birmingham City Council.
"We will continue to work in partnership with the police to use closure orders against any person who causes nuisance behaviour in this way to ensure our communities remain safe places to live," he added.
