Residents' delight after nightmare neighbours booted out of council flat (From Your Local Guardian)

Residents' delight after nightmare neighbours booted out of council flat

8:24am Friday 3rd August 2012 in Top Stories

A family who have plagued their neighbourhood for years with drunken, violent antisocial behaviour have finally been evicted from their Balham council flat.

Anne Sankey, 25, and her uncle Andrew Huggett, 48, must now leave their property in Kenilford Road following a Central London county court hearing.

The pair have been at the centre of repeated episodes of unacceptable behaviour, along with Miss Sankey’s boyfriend Paul Raynsford and Mr Huggett's wife Louise.

The court heard the family had brought turmoil and disruption to the neighbourhood, ranging from noisy parties to episodes of shouting, swearing and arguing with each other in the street. Members of the family had also threatened and verbally abused their neighbours, dumped rubbish in other people’s gardens and regularly rode loud mopeds up and down their street, hooting their horns in the early hours of the morning. One neighbour, who did not want to be identified, admitted he was delighted they were going as he thought he and his family would have to move.

He said: "These people were unbelievable. No respect for anyone at all or even themselves, and if you dared to say anything about the noise you could probably expect a slap in return.

"I think a lot of our neighbours were thinking about moving so we might even have another street party."

The family also kept dogs that were allowed to defecate in the street and were also encouraged to roam in neighbours’ gardens. On other occasions the dogs were locked out after dark and their barking would keep the neighbourhood awake all night.

Last year an injunction was obtained banning Mr Raynsford from the area because of his behaviour, but this week neighbours finally had their prayers answered.