Police and council staff target squats in Weston after anti-social behaviour

Paul JonesDecember 21, 20250 Comment0

SQUATS in empty commercial premises in Weston-super-Mare have been targeted by police and council teams to prevent anti-social behaviour.

North Somerset Council (NSC) and Avon and Somerset Police have worked together to secure properties in the town centre following a series of incidents relating to unlawfully-accessed vacant properties.

It came as part of the Winter of Action operation in across Weston in a bid to improve safety for residents and support vulnerable people over the winter months.

“In recent weeks, several empty commercial buildings have recently been unlawfully accessed, attracting groups of people and resulting in repeated incidents of anti-social behaviour and ongoing community impact,” a NSC spokesperson said.

“The unlawful entry and associated activity posed significant safety risks to surrounding communities and businesses and required urgent action.

“In response, council officers and police teams carried out joint inspections of the properties, identified the responsible landlords, and took firm action to ensure each building was made safe.”

All affected premises have now been secured, they said, “reducing the risk of further unlawful entry and helping to restore safety and confidence in the area”.

The council and police will continue with patrols to prevent any repeat of the incidents, they added.

Cllr Mike Solomon, NSC Executive member for culture, community services and safety, said: “These buildings posed a clear safety risk and were contributing to wider issues of anti-social behaviour in the town centre.

“By working closely with Avon and Somerset Police, we were able to engage directly with landlords and ensure that the necessary security measures were put in place quickly.”

Neighbourhood inspector Lee Kerslake, of Avon & Somerset Police, said: “Ensuring residents are safe and feel safe has been the focus of our partnership with North Somerset Council consistently, and working together to tackle what has been a significant safety issue has been a clear example of this.

“We are focused as a partnership on identifying and tackling the issues that affect our communities and encourage people to raise concerns to enable us to build on the significant progress we are making throughout our Winter of Action to keep Weston safe.”