Trespassing at Nottingham’s former Debenhams building is now a criminal offence after a Closure Order was granted by magistrates.
Nottingham City Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Team, in close partnership with Nottinghamshire Police, successfully applied for the order in response to a string of incidents which saw youths enter the derelict site on Long Row and climb onto the roof.
Nottinghamshire Police were regularly called to the site due to repeated disturbances and concerns for public safety, resulting in officers issuing multiple Section 35 dispersal orders excluding youngsters from the area for a defined period.
Police also liaised closely with the managing agents over improving security at the site – however incidents continued and so an application for a Closure Order was submitted. The Closure Order was granted at a hearing at Nottingham Magistrates Court this morning (Friday 5 December) and was given for an initial three months.
Closure orders are one of the tools available to police and local authorities to prevent access to premises associated with persistent nuisance or disorder. They are governed by the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, and aim to tackle serious disruption caused by occupants or visitors of a property.
A breach of a Closure Order is a criminal offence, punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine.
Chief Inspector Kylie Davies, who oversees neighbourhood policing in Nottingham city centre, said:
“We know this building and those entering it were causing antisocial behaviour issues and concern to people in the city centre.
“While officers did attend these incidents, trespass in most instances is a civil matter and so our powers to combat the issue has been limited.
“That is why we worked closely with Nottingham City Council to apply for a Closure Order, which now makes all forms of trespassing at the site a criminal offence.
“By teaming up with our partners at the council we secured the order to close it down and put a stop to this unacceptable and dangerous behaviour.
“This sends a strong message that we take all reports of antisocial behaviour extremely seriously and will always do everything in our power to investigate, prosecute and work with our partners to keep our communities safe.
“I’d also encourage all parents and guardians of young people to know where they are, who they are with, and what they are doing – as well as discussing with them the long-term consequences of having a criminal record.”
Councillor Corall Jenkins, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, Waste and Equalities at Nottingham City Council, said:
“We’re pleased to support Nottinghamshire Police in taking this action to keep people safe.
“This is a strong example of how partnership working can help tackle persistent anti-social behaviour and protect the public. While this is a privately owned site, we have used our civil powers to support Police efforts to secure the building and prevent further dangerous access.
“We remain committed to working collaboratively to keep Nottingham a safe place to live, work and visit.”
