An Ipswich landlord and his company, Francis Investments (East Anglia) Ltd, have been successfully prosecuted by Ipswich council and found guilty of 8 offences under the Anti Social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Act 2014.

The landlord is the sole of the company and had failed to remove a large amount of waste from one of his properties despite having been ordered by the council, prior to court proceedings being started, to remove the waste.

The landlord and his company were served with community protection notices by the council environmental health team regarding both the waste and vermin and drainage problems at the property but failed to comply with the notices and so were taken to court.

Cllr. Alasdair Ross, the council's portfolio holder for community protection said "Court action is the last resort after much hard work and action to resolve issues and that's why we needed to go to court in respect of this property after the defendants had not responded to our previous measures to make things right."