Anti-social families cause havoc in village where Captain Cook grew up

Police say the two families, living in Great Ayton’s Central Way, were behaving in an anti-social manner that was blighting the lives of nearby residents.

Incidents included causing damage, violence and discarding empty beer cans and broken bottles in other people’s gardens. Also people, who were drunk, wandered around the area at all times of the day, using loud and offensive language and stopping neighbours from using their gardens.

Residents formed an action group which worked with police, the Broadacres Housing Association and others to gather the necessary evidence to support legal action to have the problem families moved out of the houses.

Broadacres took out an injunction against the head of the household responsible for the majority of the anti-social behaviour. It was only weeks away from repossessing the property when the families moved out voluntarily.

Sgt Simon Wilson, of Stokesley safer neighbourhood team, said last night: “It is very pleasing that we have been able to make positive links with the residents of Central Way and helped to improve their quality of life.

“Anti-social behaviour is an issue the police take very seriously as we know how detrimental it can be on communities,” he added.

Gill Haigh, director of housing for Broadacres, said: “The anti-social behaviour displayed by these families is not something, as landlords, we will tolerate.”

A local resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said yesterday there had been a big improvement following the crackdown: “The change in the neighbourhood has been just amazing.

“Kids are now playing in the street and we’re able to enjoy going into our gardens again without finding empty beer cans and suffering abuse from the problem families.”

Captain Cook led an international programme in 1796 to measure the distance to the Sun by observing the transit from Tahiti in the Pacific.