Police close down Chertsey 'crack den'

Mar 31 2010 By Emma Heseltine

PC David Stockle outside the flat

POLICE raided a suspected crack den in St Ann's Road, Chertsey, on Monday and have closed down the flat.

Officers served the first ever closure notice in Runnymede at 9am, meaning that no one other than the tenant, council and police can enter the property.

And the tenant, Alan McConnachie, appeared at Woking Magistrates Court the following day, where he asked for an adjournment. He will now reappear in a weeks' time, when Surrey Police will apply for a further order to have him evicted.

PC Dave Stockle, beat bobby for Chertsey, said on Monday: "We have issued a crack house closure notice in St Ann's Road. Nobody can enter or remain in the property apart from the tenant, the council and the police.

"This is a direct result of a warrant that was carried out a month ago, and as a result of residents' complaints about anti-social behaviour emanating from the flat. We will be asking the court to upgrade the notice to an order, so that nobody at all, including the tenant, can go in."

When he appeared in front of magistrates on Tuesday Mr McConnachie was reminded not to have any visitors to the flat.

Police have posted the closure notices on all entrances to the flat to inform possible visitors and neighbours of the process. Officers also went door to door letting neighbours know that they had served the notice to the tenant, and reassuring them as to what the next step would be.

PC Stockle added: "This is something that we've never done in Runnymede before, but we will be following it through to the end."

Magistrates agreed that the notice would remain in place until the case comes back to court on April 13.