A POOL hall in Bury town centre which was being used as a base for drug dealing has been ordered to close.

Police successfully gained an order to shut down Streetwise Pool Hall, Back Haymarket Street, Bury, after they said it had been used for the supply of Class A drugs.

Bury Magistrates' Court granted the closure for three months under the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003. The pool hall was closed on Thursday afternoon when an interim closure notice was handed to the owners and officer went there yesterday to seal windows and doors.

The closure order is part of an operation to tackle the supply of heroin and cocaine in the Bury area during which 12 people have been charged.

Superintendent of Operations at Bury, Peter Scofield, said: "Our inquiries and surveillance of the property gave us enough evidence to obtain this closure order.

"Any premises being used in the supply, distribution or even use of heroin and crack cocaine can now be shut down for long periods of time, giving the local community the opportunity to rid itself of the disorder and problems associated with drugs.

"I want to reassure the people in Bury that we are taking positive action to improve the area for everyone who lives there and to make our community a safer place to live."

The court heard that undercover police officers witnessed 14 incidents of drug dealing involving the hall between March and April.

People working near the hall said discarded needles had been found in the street and a man injecting heroin was found slumped in the doorway of one business .

Users of the centre had fought open battles in the street, lit fireworks beneath cars, and assaulted members of the public and a traffic warden.

Robert Blackburn, a director of the proprietors of the pool hall, Rovalcase, told the court a meeting of board members, who were unaware of the illegal activities, had already agreed the premises should close.

He complained that any order would create a stigma for himself and fellow owners and that not enough had been done to contact him before a notice was served on him at Bury police station.

Mr Blackburn complained that any order would create a stigma for himself and fellow owners, who had previously discussed closing the hall on the grounds of viability.