Sunderland resident handed court injunction after inviting groups of people into their Hendon home during lockdown

Sunderland County Court has granted an injunction order against a tenant in Hendon who repeatedly failed to follow the Government lockdown measures put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The injunction, which is in place for six months, followed reports of numerous individuals visiting a property in Hendon, despite the strict ‘lockdown’ procedures.

It will lawfully prevent the tenant having more than two visitors to their home, as well as stopping anyone not named on their tenancy agreement to stay at the property overnight.

In partnership with Northumbria Police, Gentoo has now issued over 60 tenancy breaches to homes in Sunderland, with further legal proceedings to start for those persistently breaking strict coronavirus rules.

Nigel Wilson, chief executive office for Gentoo Group said: ”Our number one priority is always the safety and welfare of our tenants, residents and employees, and that’s never been more important than now.

“We’re immensely proud of the resilience, strength and true northern spirit that’s been shown by our tenants over the past five weeks in adhering to the critical, but challenging government guidelines.

“However, we are aware of a small number of tenants who continue to not follow the rules and put the welfare of their family and those around them at risk, which we will not tolerate.

“Working with Northumbria Police, we will continue to actively challenge these tenants and seek to reprimand anyone found to be not following social distancing principles.

Sunderland currently ranks number one for the highest number of coronavirus cases per population in England.

Chief Superintendent Sarah Pitt, Southern Area Commander, said: “We are grateful to the overwhelming majority of people who continue to show resolve during these challenging times and adhere to the stay-at-home restrictions.

“However, from the outset we have been clear that we would take the necessary steps to enforce the lockdown rules in order to protect our communities.”

If you suspect someone is breaking the lockdown legislation, you can report it directly to Northumbria Police by clicking here.

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