Gun-toting family ‘made themselves homeless’

Photo: Andy Wilkes @ Flickr

A Croydon man and his two sons have been evicted from their home after claims they smeared their neighbours’ houses with excrement and posed with a handgun on the pavement outside their property.

David Ruck, 52, and his two sons, aged 24 and 17, have been excluded from their home for the next three months while Croydon Council’s antisocial behaviour team seeks permanent possession of the property in Norbury’s Granden Road.

Last week Croydon Magistrates’ Court heard that when police and members of the council’s antisocial behaviour team raided the house in October, they found 19 bags of cannabis and various drugs paraphernalia.

The magistrates were told that the family had subsequently intimidated locals, saying that they had been “grassed up.”

The listed tenant for the house is the boys’ mother, but she is believed to have moved out some time ago.

Councillor Dudley Mead, the council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “This type of behaviour can have an awful affect on the lives of people. We will not tolerate this in our properties and will always use the full weight of legislation to bring it to an end.”

Sergeant Simon Stephenson from the Norbury safer neighbourhoods team is confident the eviction will help protect locals.

“We’ve shown that police and Croydon Council will take positive action to improve the lives of local residents,” he said.

It is unknown where the family is currently living.

“Effectively they’ve made themselves homeless,” a council spokesperson said. “We don’t keep track of them now that we’re not responsible.”

The 17 year old was given what police called a ‘final warning’ over the drugs, but no charges have been brought.

One Response

  1. Sheilah Cosper December 28, 2010

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