POLICE will today board up a drugs den which was being used as a base for dealers and prostitutes.

The action comes after a court ruled that 80 Portland Street, Normanton, should be closed for three months.

The closure order was made yesterday after police told magistrates that when they raided the house they found a Samurai sword, knives and two dogs used by the dealers as security.

They also found several "crack pipes" and two sets of digital scales.

Caroline Clarke, for Derbyshire police, told Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court: "There is evidence that the premises were being used for the supply of drugs.

"Individuals actually spoke to police officers at the property and indicated they were waiting for drugs they had already paid for."

Miss Clarke said one neighbour felt she had no option but to move from her house in Portland Street because of the large number of "undesirable" visitors.

The court heard police had raided the house on December 8 following complaints from neighbours about people banging on the door and shouting.

At the raid, tenant Steven Painter, 40, was arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs after he was found with methadone which was not prescribed to him.

He later pleaded guilty. He is now in prison on another matter and appeared at court yesterday via a video link from HMP Nottingham.

PC Rob Beeston told the court: "In my opinion the house is related to the supply of drugs.

"The dogs were kept in the rear yard for one reason only – to prevent anybody from entering by the back door.

"The dogs were quite aggressive, I certainly wouldn't want to come up against them."

PC Beeston said he also had evidence to suggest that prostitutes in the area would take clients back to the house.

He said the owner of the house supported the police's application for a closure order and would be taking steps to evict Painter, who has lived at the house for nine months.

Sarah Green, in mitigation for Painter, said he had only pleaded guilty to possession of Class A drugs on the grounds that they were someone else's and left at the house. She said Painter intended to appeal against the closure order.

After the hearing, PC Beeston said: "It has been a difficult case. It has taken months. The main problem was getting witnesses – a lot of them were too scared of the repercussions."