OXFORD City Council are to be commended for using relatively new powers to evict the Reed family from their rented home in Cowley.

Reading the evidence collated by the council, it would appear the term neighbours from hell is not a cheap cliche to attach to them.

Previously authorities only had the power to step in at ‘crack houses’ where there was both class A drug dealing and antisocial behaviour that was affecting the neighbourhood.

The new powers mean that the serious disorder is enough to seek a closure order. The key for authorities is restraint and only using the orders when absolutely necessary.

There are plenty of people who may cause problems for their neighbours but councils should not just bring out this big hammer to crack every nut.

It would appear the city council is following this course. While there have been problems since Larraine Reed moved in over two years ago, it really became a major problem from December.

While the past seven months must have felt like an eternity for neighbours, the council has moved relatively swiftly to take this ultimate action. Hopefully it may well send a message to other families blighting their neighbourhoods to pull their heads in or they could be next.