A vacant house in Phillipstown which was destroyed by a fire has been the centre of anti-social behaviour, according to a nearby resident.

Emergency services were called to Bordesley St in Phillipstown at 7.45am this morning,

Three crews from Christchurch Central and Woolston stations attended to fire to extinguish the flames. 

There were no reports of people inside.

A woman whose son lives near the house told Chris Lynch Media there have been multiple incidents at the property.

“The tenants had been in a house literally around the corner, and had trashed the first house.

“There had been cars broken into, constant noise, kids out all day and night, and rubbish strewn everywhere.”

The woman says the house where the fire occurred recently went up for rent and the family moved around the corner into it.

“Obviously no research was done by the letting agent, one look at the state of the first property would have put them off renting it to this family.

“They lived in it a short while and it was the same thing, constant annoyance of surrounding neighbours, rubbish and feral kids, then they upped and left leaving it a total mess.”

The woman says youths had been using the house as a hang out for drugs and crime.

“They have been smashing all the windows out, tagging, setting small fires in the garden and smoking weed etc.

“It has been a nightmare for my son, who is out at work all day – worrying that they would come over and cause damage to his home or vehicles.”