LANDLORDS are being urged to use a service which vets tenants in a bid to prevent them causing serious problems, after a nuisance tenant was evicted at the weekend.

Middlesbrough Council's Shield project runs a screening service for landlords by checking out prospective tenants for criminal convictions, anti-social behaviour and rent dodging - examining their record as tenants for six years.

The call comes after a tenant who let prostitutes stay at his house and caused months of misery for neighbours was evicted at the weekend.

Unemployed Kenneth Fielding, 51, was evicted after his landlord enforced a possession order on his two-bedroom terraced house in Thomas Street, North Ormesby.

Police and tenancy enforcement officers from Middlesbrough received about 100 complaints in the past two years, and warned Mr Fielding repeatedly that he would be evicted if he kept allowing prostitutes in the house.

Complaints included fights in the street outside the house, cars arriving at all hours of the day, noise, verbal abuse and intimidation.

Enforcement officer Monica Marron, who co-ordinates the Shield project, said: "The landlord of the property is a responsible business person and he was horrified at what was going on. He called us in at an early stage and has worked with us throughout.

"Equally, Mr Fielding was in some ways a vulnerable person. We did our best to advise him and help him move out of the area, where he could break off this association. But he didn't co-operate and there was no way we could allow nuisance behaviour like this to continue."

Mr Fielding moved in to the house in December 2003 and the first complaint against him was received a year later, when residents complained to street wardens.

Enforcement officers, the landlord and police visited him and warned him he was in breach of his tenancy conditions.

Middlesbrough councillor Barry Coppinger, executive member for community, said; "I am sure that the residents of this neighbourhood will be glad to see the back of this tenant and his associates. They behaved appallingly and blighted the lives of decent people.

"It is clear he was given every chance to sort his lifestyle out and didn't respond to the help he could have had. In those circumstances, eviction is really the only remedy and it is one we will encourage landlords to pursue as they and the council have a responsibility to the wider community.