A BLACKBURN town centre hostel for homeless people has been shut as part of a crackdown on crime and anti-social behaviour.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has obtained a closure order for the Devonshire Hotel in Bridge Street, Blackburn, after concerns over the effect of tenants’ behaviour on the community.

It marks the start of its ‘zero tolerance’ policy towards landlords in the town centre.

Blackburn magistrates granted a closure order with immediate effect after the council’s legal team successfully argued that the 12-bedroom, mixed sex accommodation had had a detrimental effect on neighbouring residents, businesses and visitors.

All residents at the hostel have since been rehoused in emergency accommodation. Executive member for neighbourhoods, housing and customer services, Coun Yusuf Jan-Virmani said: “The action against the Devonshire Hotel sends out a clear message that we are cracking down on landlords and tenants whose actions have a detrimental effect on others.

“We have other landlords on our hit list and we will be coming after them too. “This is an important step in improving the quality of life for the residents and communities of the borough.

“We want Blackburn town centre to be a place where people can visit for shopping or leisure in the knowledge that this kind of behaviour will no longer be tolerated.”

A relative of the owner, who was present at the hotel but did not want to be named, denied it had been shut down after Friday’s decision.

He said: “The hotel has only shut for refurbishment for a couple of weeks and will re-open.”