West Area Police (Ealing, Hounslow and Hillingdon) teamed up with Ealing Council and closed down an address in Southall.

On Thursday, 23 January 2020 police and Ealing Council closed down an address in Harewood Terrace, Southall due to drug related Anti-Social Behaviour.

The vulnerable occupant was a victim of ‘cuckooing’ by local drug dealers. The property owned by L&Q (London and Quadrant Housing Trust) has been closed for 3 months to safeguard the tenant and to protect the local residents.

The vulnerable occupant has been placed in temporary accommodation by Ealing Council Safer Communities team.

This is a good example of partnership working between Ealing Council and The West Area Police.

What is Cuckooing?

Cuckooing is a form of crime in which drug dealers take over the home of a vulnerable person in order to use it as a base for drug dealing.

Why is it called cuckooing?

Because, much like a cuckoo bird which is known to take over the nests of others, cuckooing is where a drug dealer befriends a vulnerable person taking over their home & turning it in to a drugs den. Any info, call us on 101 or 999 in an emergency

Or stay anonymous by contacting the charity @Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Any young people who have either information about violence or knife crime, can visit www.fearless.org to where they can pass on information anonymously – your I.P address will not be traced. Fearless is part of the Crimestoppers charity, and is also independent of the police.