Up to 40 people a day were calling to buy drugs from Aspen House in Pool Road, which was used as a temporary hostel for homeless families.

Last week after a man was found dead there, police and Hyde Housing Association, which owns the property, obtained a court order to close it down.

Kenneth Larner, 34, of Gloucester Road, was found dead at the premises on Easter Monday.

Police are investigating Mr Larner’s death and have not ruled out that it was drugs related.

But residents say earlier action should have been taken to tackle the drug dealing.

Peter Price claims that drug dealing had been taking place there for five years and accuses police and Hyde Housing Association of ignoring the problem.

He said he rang the Hyde Housing several times to warn them that the situation was getting worse.

“I first rang them four weeks ago but they never came out to see me,” he said.

“Then I rang the police two weeks ago about the noise coming from children in there but they said they couldn’t do anything. They knew they were doing drugs.”

Mr Price said he was relieved the hostel closed because there were a lot of problems there.

“We had windows broken, trees damaged and dirty nappies thrown over the fence.

“I’ve also had people coming to the door thinking I was a drug dealer.”

One resident, who did not wish to be identified, agreed that closing Aspen House was long overdue.

She claimed: “It became a crack house. People reported it to the police and Hyde Housing Association but they took no notice.”

She also said she warned them that the discarded needles were a potential risk to children there.

Another neighbour welcomed the decision to close it.

“I’m glad they have gone. Before it was a quiet place but then it hit hell. I couldn’t let my children out — not even to go and get an ice cream because children staying there would shout out and intimidate them. They threw bricks and wood at them.”

One tenant said she always believed the home was “an accident waiting to happen”.

“There was a lot of drug dealing. There were needles everywhere and I even remember one man injecting himself with heroin on the staircase.”

Sgt Keith Burbidge, of Aldershot Police, denied the police were slow to act to tackle the drug-dealing problem.

He said they were already investigating the premises with Hyde Housing Association in March and that corroborative evidence was needed to secure the order in court.

“Magistrates need to be satisfied it’s a reasonable course of action and is justifiable in law,” said Sgt Burbidge.

“Within a week or two we had half of what we needed to show to magistrates. The investigation into the death was the process which finally brought it about because it added to the evidence and we were confident we would get the order.”

He admitted the drug takers would try to find somewhere else to hang out.

“These activities have come to an end but the chances are it could end elsewhere,” he said.

“We are keen for members of the public to give us a call if they believe a property nearby is being used.”

A spokesman for Hyde Housing Association said it took swift action to deal with complaints, which were initially reported less than two months ago.

She said an antisocial behaviour officer worked closely with police to compile the evidence.

“The results of Hyde’s and the local police’s investigations and recommendations were completed at the beginning of April before the recent death — details were reviewed by senior police before the closure could proceed.”

They hope to re-open Aspen House in a couple of months when the problems are resolved.

Police say the closure order is the first of its kind in the area to be used under new anti-social behaviour laws.

The order bans any unauthorised person from entering the site for three months. Anyone who breaks it faces up to six months imprisonment or a fine.

Supt Joe Apps, of Aldershot police, said: “This is the first time we have used this section of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act to use new police powers, ratified by the court to deal with premises being used for drug dealing and causing a community nuisance.

“We are determined to use all the powers prevailed on us to deal with the serious issue of drug dealing and drug taking.”

An inquest into Mr Larner’s death has been opened and adjourned. It will be resumed on June 2.

Picture: Floral tributes to Kenneth Larner outside the boarded up Aspen House