AN IFORD home has been closed by the courts after persistent problems, council officials say.

The property at 9a Castle Parade - which lies between Castle Parade Fish and Chips and Hong Kong Kitchen - was shut for three months by magistrates at Poole earlier in November.

Residents Sharon Latini and Gary Dunford are not allowed to return to the property for the duration of the closure order.

Kelly Ansell, Bournemouth council’s head of communities, enforcement and regulatory services, said the couple's behaviour had been "detrimental" to those living or working near the Iford Roundabout.

“Following investigations by the council’s anti-social behaviour team in partnership with Dorset Police, the detrimental effect on the community linked to the behaviour at this property has resulted in a need for closure of the premises," she said.

"The council’s application was granted by the courts.

"Action of this nature is always taken as a last resort and the decision to do so indicates the severity of the impact on the community.”

The property is just the latest in a series of closure orders across Bournemouth and Poole this year.

In October, Flat 4, Castle Dene Lodge in Throop Road, Townsend and 131 Palmerston Road in Boscombe were both shut down.

Other properties shut earlier in the year include Flat 2, Campbell Road and Flat 6, 499 Christchurch Road, both of which are in Boscombe, Flat J, 98 Turbary Park Road in Bournemouth and 9 Dale Valley Road in Oakdale, Poole.

Each of the addresses was the site of repeated problems, with neighbours alleging they were subjected to noise nuisance and verbal abuse.

In some cases, magistrates heard reports that the properties were linked to drug use.