A caravan which had become a hotspot for antisocial behaviour was dismantled and removed thanks to nearby residents alerting PCH to the issue.
The caravan moved into Granby Court in Devonport around three months ago. Housing Officers in the area soon received reports of drug-taking and loud noise coming from the caravan on a regular basis.
The situation was legally complicated since someone was actually living in the caravan at first. However, the occupant soon moved out, and abandoned the vehicle and its contents.
Nevertheless, the caravan continued to act as a hub for bad behaviour. It was broken into on a regular basis and used as a base for antisocial behaviour, with continued noise complaints from residents.
Once the vehicle was deemed as having been abandoned by its occupant, Housing Officers were able to deploy a TORTS Notice - a legal document alerting the owner that the abandoned vehicle had been left on private land.
This notice meant the landowner - in this case PCH - could seize the vehicle unless it was removed by the owner within a specific timeframe.
A local contractor called Jay’s Scrap Metal was hired to remove the caravan after the owner failed to respond.
The vehicle was dismantled and removed in smaller pieces to be disposed of. Workers had to be extra cautious during this work as drug paraphernalia was found inside the caravan.
Jolene Hayman, Assistant Housing Officer for the area, said: “I was really pleased with the response and service from Jay’s Scrap Metal who did an amazing job helping us with the removal of the abandoned caravan from our land.
“It was great to get this removed and resolve some issues with anti-social behaviour affecting local residents.”
