A CONVICTED drug dealer has become the second resident to be evicted from his crack den house.

John Newton, 33, was forced to leave his privately rented flat at 21 Wayletts, in Laindon, after it was officially branded a crack house by a judge yesterday.

Newton is the second Basildon resident in the space of a week to be booted out of his home after police successfully applied for a crack house closure order.

Inside the flat there was clear evidence of drug use with a hypodermic needle lying just yards from a child’s bedroom full of toys.

The drugs den is now boarded up with an official court notice posted on the door.

Under the order no one, including Newton and the property owner, is allowed to enter the apartment for three months.

The news was welcomed by residents at the flats.

One 25-year-old mum said: “There were always people on the stairs who were taking or buying drugs, which is a worry as I have children and my partner leaves for work in the early hours of the morning.

“They were so noisy as well.

“You would always hear them being sick where they had overdosed, or you could hear them outside the window asking to buy drugs. I’m well chuffed the police have closed it.”

The flat was one of seven properties raided by police last week.

They carried out a series of drugs busts across Basildon in their bid to smash a North London gang of dealers – known as the Bush Boys – who have been using homes across the district to sell their illegal wares.

Police have applied for four of the homes to be closed down using the crack house closure orders.

Mum-of-one Natalie Morris was booted out of her house in Buckerills, Pitsea, last Friday.

It is understood Newton returned to the flat – which was already the subject of a temporary closure order – on Wednesday to collect his belongings. Newton failed to turn up at Southend Magistrates’ Court yesterday for the hearing where District Judge Kevin Gray granted the closure order.

In September 2008, Newton narrowly escaped a jail term after admitting selling cannabis to an undercover police officer.

Newton appeared in court again this January for stealing meat from Lidl, in Laindon, but was given a suspended prison sentence after judges agreed to give him a chance to go straight.

l The fate of two other homes will be decided by District Judge Kevin Gray next week. Police have applied to close 63 Powell Road, Laindon, and 129 Long Riding, Basildon.