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! ‘House from hell’ is m a Icing our life a misery


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Angry and despairing neigh­ bours are calling for action on a “housefrom hell" that they claim has madetheir livesa misery for the pastfouryears.


Residents in Siddows Avenue, Clitheroe, have now launched apetitioncallingforimmediate


action on the privately owned property that they say has been


. used as a “dumpingground” for troublesome tenants. Mr Roger Wilson, who has


lived in Siddows Avenue for more than 30 years with his wife, Man- dy, said: “We as residents are now desperate for this situation to be resolved. This is a lovely street with a park at the top and a jun­ ior school playing field at the other end and some residents have lived her happily for over 40 years. “This house and all the peo­


ple who have been brought to live here have brought the neigh­ bourhood down and it is really making people ill. We are beg­ ging the powers that be for help in all directions to finally resolve this long term problem and free us from this nightmare.” The residents have now


formed the Siddows Action Group and launched a petition calling for steps to be taken. This has been sent to Ribble Valley MP Mr Nigel Evans, Ribble Valley Borough Council and Lancashire County Council. Problems began in 2011 when


the three bedroomed semi­ detached home was bought by a Cambridge-based company and let out to a series of tenants who,.


according to neighbours, have caused chaos and disruption on thestreet,holdingnoisy all-night parties, rowing, drinking alcohol and taking drugs and threatening other neighbours. Andinoneshocking incident, recorded in a diary by Mr Wil-


Left to right, Mandy Wilson, Roger Wilson, PeterStone, Peter Pickup, Katrina Stone andlrene Magee, (s)


son, a resident was threatened with a machete by a tenant at the property for complaining about noise from a party. Mr Wilson said: “On that occasion sixpolice cars arrived


and over the next couple of hours there were several ar­ rests made from the house. “Itwasbothfrighteningand disturbing for us asresidents.” People have also witnessed


violent arguments between tenants living in the property and, according to Mr Wilson, on another occasion, in 2013, five police cars attended the scene when a man turned up


brandishing a knife shouting abuse and swearing. He then smashed a window before spraying the walls with graffiti. Mr Wilson said: “This hap­


pened as all the children were leaving school for the day at the bottom of the avenue. It was awful for them to have to see something like this.” Residents also fear the


property is unsafe, as it has been become rundown and dilapidated with no mainte­ nance carried out for several years. The garden is also over­ grown and brimming with rub­ bish.


Mr Wilson said: “We are


urging the council to under­ take possible checks on this property revolving around a ‘home for multiple occupation’ criteria, includingthe Housing Health and Safety rating sys­ tem inspection. “Thenumberonepriorityis


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