ILLEGAL tenants have been removed from a council flat with police hoping it will lead to a reduction in anti-social behaviour.

Officers from Colchester Police’s community policing team along with specially trained members of the Essex Operation Support Group raided a flat in Avon Way in the Greenstead area of Colchester, yesterday.

The police team had been working alongside Colchester Borough Homes and identified an issue at the property.

Inspector Danielle Booth was one of the officers who helped execute the warrant yesterday morning.

She said although no arrests had been made during the operation, two people had been removed from the flat.

She said the raid was a good example of partnership working.

She said: “Prior to the warrant officers from the community policing team engaged with Colchester Borough Homes who own the property as we suspected that persons were living there who were not permitted to.

“Evidence of a tenancy breach has been obtained and Colchester Borough Homes will be seeking possession.

“No arrests were made today but the persons inside the property have been removed.”

Insp Booth added she hoped removing the people will stamp out anti-social behaviour which had been on the rise in the immediate area.

She said: “This will bring some much needed peace to the community who have reported frequent anti-social behaviour originating from this address and the persons within.”

A Colchester Borough Homes spokesman confirmed it was one of their properties which were raided but declined to comment on individual acts of anti-social behaviour, pending a possible criminal investigation.

The spokesman added, however, the organisation would not put up with nuisance behaviour from their tenants.

“Colchester Borough Homes does not tolerate nuisance or anti-social behaviour from its tenants,” he said.

“We will take action to enforce tenancies where there is evidence of nuisance.”