The property, in Priestsic Road, Sutton-in-Ashfield, was closed on Friday after persistent complaints by neighbours about drug dealing and associated criminality.

The closure order, made under the Antisocial Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014, was initially issued by Nottinghamshire Police and was later confirmed by Nottingham Magistrates’ Court.

The order bans anyone from entering the property for a period of three months.

Anyone who breaches the order – including the previous occupants – will be committing a criminal offence and liable to a fine or imprisonment.

The closure order is one of several secured in recent months in partnership with Ashfield District Council.

As well as offering an immediate reprieve to residents this order will allow the landlord to pursue grounds of mandatory repossession.

Inspector Jon Hewitt, district commander for Ashfield, said: “This property had become a magnet for drug-related criminality and antisocial behaviour.

“Neighbouring residents were left living in fear, and I am delighted that we have now been able to take such decisive action to protect them.

“This latest closure is one of many we have concluded in the Ashfield area, and I can assure residents that it will not be the last.

“We are currently looking to take similar action against other local problem addresses and hope this latest proactive closure serves as a warning to others about the potential consequences of this kind of criminality.

“We won’t tolerate this kind of behaviour and will move swiftly to protect local residents when we become aware of this kind of behaviour.”