POLICE want to close a suspected Broadgreen drug den.

The force won permission from magistrates for a temporary closure notice on the Rosebery Street flat. Officers fear the flat’s tenant is being exploited by out-of-town drug dealers.

The closure order, which has been taped to the front door of the flat, means that anyone other than the tenant could be arrested if they try to get into the home.

Wiltshire Police will return to court on Wednesday, November 7, to apply for a full closure order. Typically, closure orders last for three months.

Following the court hearing, PC Craig Thompson, the force’s community coordinator for the Broadgreen area, said: “The activity at this address has been an ongoing concern for police, as well as residents living nearby and it has been having a really negative impact on their lives.

“I am pleased that, through joint working between ourselves and the adult sexual exploitation team, we have been able to secure this order which prevents anyone other than the resident from entering the property. Anyone who does will be committing an offence and may be arrested.

“I would encourage anyone concerned about criminal activity in their neighbourhood to report it to police on 101, or 999 in an emergency.”

Residents on Rosebery Street said they had seen police regularly visiting the flat over the past fortnight. It is understood that detectives are concerned the flat is being used by so-called county lines drug dealers, members of out-of-town gangs who use homes belonging to vulnerable residents in town and smaller cities as bases from which to peddle their product.

Earlier this year, a house on County Road was sealed up after Wiltshire Police and Swindon Borough Council successfully applied for a three month closure order.

The terraced house was used by drug dealers, addicts and vulnerable sex workers. At least one Birmingham-based drugs gang used it as a base.

But the house was owned by an 83-year-old woman, then living in a Stratton care home but who has since died. Her sons, who have previous convictions for drug dealing and theft, had taken over the property.

Making the order in June, District Judge Simon Cooper said: “I have a litany of incidents starting in November 2016, going to January 2018 and then on to June that quite clearly cause considerably distress, nuisance and concern to local people in that area of Swindon.

“I’m satisfied that it’s necessary to members of the public that the crack den is closed down.”