A noisy student house which caused months of misery for neighbours has been shut down by Canterbury City Council under special powers used for the first time.

The property in Oxford Road, Wincheap, which had been home to two Christ Church students, was the source of relentless anti-social behaviour both inside and outside.

Council officials used monitoring equipment and diaries of incidents recorded by neighbours to register the level of disturbance.

These included reports of raucous parties, drinking in the street and loud music often late at night.

The authority applied to Canterbury Magistrates Court for a Closure Order under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

Granted on Friday, the council, police and a locksmith closed the house and changed the locks.

Julie Oates, the city council’s environmental protection manager, says officers had earlier visited the property and sent warning letters in an effort to change the students’ behaviour.

She said: “This was a severe case that caused problems for residents over several months.

“We made extensive efforts to work with the people who lived in the property and persuade them to change their behaviour, but it became clear that legal action to force their removal was going to be the only way to resolve the matter.

“It is unusual for a case to get this far, because negotiation and mediation can often resolve an issue.

"However, we do have the legal powers available to us to tackle these extreme situations, and this case should be seen as a warning to anybody else causing problems with noise and anti-social behaviour that we will take action to deal with them.”

Canterbury Christ Church University welcomed the action taken by the council.

Pro-vice chancellor Helen James said: “We take our role and responsibility as part of the local community very seriously and worked with the council to tackle anti-social behaviour in private residencies to try to secure a resolution to this issue.

“We support the actions the council has had to take in this case.”

PC James Gall, an anti-social behaviour officer at Kent Police, added: “The level of anti-social behaviour displayed by these occupants has had a tangible impact on the community.

“Working in partnership with the council we have been able to tackle the anti-social behaviour displayed by the occupants of this address and send a clear message that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated.

“The action taken by the city council in partnership with Kent Police has resulted in positive action by the court in order to keep Canterbury a safe and pleasant place to live.”