COUNCILLORS have agreed to look at ways of evicting a nuisance family after neighbours handed in a petition asking for their removal.

Coun Mohammed Iqbal, chairman of the Nelson Committee, said officers should look at the problem family's tenancy agreement, as councillors regularly criticised private landlords for failing to deal with nuisance tenants.

A report to the committee said the council had received a petition from residents asking that a family be removed from their Caleb Street home after complaints of harassment and damage by the children.

It also stated that residents had said they felt vulnerable and worried about trying to deal with the family and had raised concerns about the area being made unsightly. Organisations involved with the family have already held a meeting after establishing there was "little doubt" that the children were causing a problem.

Three children in the household have already been served with acceptable behaviour contracts, signed by their mother, but according to the report: "This does not appear to have had the desired effect." Anti-social behaviour orders could be among the future options for dealing with the problem.

Residents affected by the nuisance have been asked to continue to report incidents to the police and council.

Councillors agreed that agencies involved with the family should continue to gather evidence on the problems and pursue appropriate courses of action.

They also approved the report's conclusion that: "The pitfall in the first instance appears to have been a lack of communication between various agencies.

"This matter has now been addressed and now that everyone is working together hopefully the problem will be resolved."

Coun Gary Rowland expressed concern that evicting the family could move the problem elsewhere rather than solving it.