A PARK North address has been sealed by police as part of a crackdown on drugs gangs.

Fears the occupant of the property in Axbridge Close was being cuckooed led to the partial closure order. It follows a number of arrests there last week.

The order, granted by magistrates in Swindon today, will be in place for up to three months. Anyone who enters the address, other than the person named, risks arrest.

Sergeant Rich Fay said: “Closure orders of this nature enable us to protect the resident, and prevent drugs gangs entering the property and exploiting vulnerable people.

“During this time we will continue to work with partner agencies including Swindon Borough Council, to come up with a long term solution.

“We will continue to use closure orders as these are extremely effective ways of preventing crime associated with an address as well as protecting the resident, who is often vulnerable to being cuckooed.”

Cuckooing is the process whereby drugs gangs take over the address of a vulnerable person usually living in a rural area so that they can continue to sell drugs under the police radar – or so they believe.

Often the occupants will be threatened with violence and on some occasions, may be forced to leave their homes.

Anyone with concerns that a neighbour or someone in their street is involved in drug dealing or is being cuckooed, should call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.