On Friday 20 March 2026, Hertfordshire Constabulary secured a court order to shut down a shared house on Vicarage Road in Watford, Hertfordshire. The property had been linked to ongoing crime and disorder for the six months it was open as a multi-occupancy home.
Police took action after receiving several reports of theft, assault, and anti-social behaviour connected to the address. Witnesses also reported seeing weapons at the property during the months leading up to the closure.
Watford Borough Council and the building management company worked with officers to gather evidence for the case. St Albans Magistrates’ Court granted the three-month closure order under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
Sergeant Karl Diggins from the Community Safety Unit said that removing someone from their home is always a last resort. He explained that the team had no choice but to seek the order to give the local community much-needed respite from the disruption.
It is now a crime for anyone unauthorized to enter the property, and those who try to go inside face arrest. After the three-month closure period ends, the management company will take the building back to carry out repairs and improvements.
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