A guest house to which police were repeatedly called following drugs and anti-social behaviour reports has been temporarily closed.

Officers were called to Chandos Premier Guest House in Cheriton Road, Folkestone 40 times in eight months starting in September 2020.

Calls included reports of assaults, disturbances, anti-social behaviour and drug dealing at the hotel.

Officers also carried out a 'test purchase' at the property, where a person too young to book a room visited and was shown a room and given the cost.

It has now been made subject of a two-month closure order at the town's magistrates' court on Friday, July 30.

The closure order, which was made under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, is in place until September 29, 2021.

It prohibits anyone entering the building except the owner, the manager, the director or those working for the owner.

Anyone who breaches the terms of the order could be brought before a court and potentially face a jail sentence.

'It is a glorified bedsit and I would never stay there again...'

PC Carly Farrow, of Folkestone Community Safety Unit, said: "Officers have frequently been called to the address and have repeatedly tried to engage with those in charge and encourage them to operate in a way which helps us prevent offending in the town.

"This step is a last resort, but a necessary one to protect local residents and vulnerable people in Folkestone from the impact of anti-social behaviour and drug dealing."

The guest house has a four out of five rating on Tripadvisor.

However one review reads: "First and foremost all these other reviews are completely fake.

"Unfortunately we live next door to this place and the guests he takes in a far from working/business class.

"He takes in all the people from the council including drug addicts weed smokers and they do it in all the bedrooms and the place smells like dried **** and alcohol fights continue to go on most nights and the police are there very regularly.

"I strongly recommend that no one has to go through experience that we go through daily."

Another reads: "I felt like I was in a prison cell. It is a glorified bedsit and I would never stay there again."

Read more: All the latest news from Folkestone