A tough new power to close premises involved in persistent anti-social behaviour comes into force today, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced at a conference for frontline anti-social behaviour practitioners. Police and local authorities can now apply to magistrates’ courts to close privately owned, rented, commercial and local authority premises. The new Premises Closure Order extends crack house closure powers, which have been used successfully to close over 1,000 crack houses and bring respite to hundreds of local communities since they were introduced in 2004, to other premises associated with persistent nuisance.
 
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01 December 2008
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