A NEIGHBOUR from hell who “ruined” a quiet Birmingham cul-de-sac has been ordered to quit the neighbourhood.
Older people living in Laburnum Avenue, Kingshurst, said they were too frightened to come out of their homes after James Crawford moved in to a ground floor maisonette.
They said a rowdy crowd regularly gathered at his home.
Loud music would blast out from the flat while those gathered there drank beer and left their cans everywhere.
They would also urinate in neighbours’ front gardens.
In one incident eggs and oil were tipped over a neighbour’s car.
And 61-year-old epilepsy sufferer Colin Maling said he was even asked outside for a fight by one boozy reveller.
Crawford, who was named by Solihull Council, also chopped down a tree that was beside the road and left the trunk leaning against another neighbour’s wall.
Ex-serviceman Mr Maling, who has lived in the close since 1989, said: “I’m one of the first people to welcome newcomers to the neighbourhood and I went up to Jimmy and said ‘my name’s Colin’.
“I told him we like it nice, quiet, peaceful and calm and he said ‘that’s what I like’.
“But our community was ruined by this kid moving in.
“It was absolutely horrific.”
All of the neighbours decided to act together and went to Solihull Council to lodge complaints one after the other.
The anti-social behaviour team at Solihull Community Housing contacted the private landlord who was unaware of the problem. Working together they got the tenant out three weeks later.
Anti-social behaviour officer Ian Tan said: “This is a great example how a community can work together to overcome anti-social behaviour. Thanks to their efforts and the private landlord this man has moved and the neighbours’ lives have got back to normal.”
Landlord Andrew Rees, who served his tenant with a notice to quit, said: “I had no idea that this man was causing so much trouble. As soon as Solihull Community Housing presented me with the evidence I took action straight away.
“I praise the neighbours who stuck together, collected evidence against the man and called for help. It just shows that community spirit can make a difference.”
When the Mail contacted James Crawford he denied ever living at the address.
