Three drugs dens in a block of flats where addicts were seen injecting on the stairs will be closed down.

Traces of crack cocaine were found in all three flats in Havelock House, in Addiscombe Road, Croydon, after police swooped on them in a dawn raid on Thursday.

A stream of users visited the flats day and night, drugs were dealt openly, and neighbours reported continuous noise nuisance, including doors banging, shouting and swearing.

One was trashed before being abandoned and crack pipes and other drugs paraphernalia were found in the other two.

Magistrates granted three closure orders on Friday after hearing evidence that the properties were used to sell Class A drugs and were the focus of nuisance and disorder.

The raid, a joint operation with the council's antisocial behaviour enforcement team, followed intelligence received by police about drug dealing and noise.

The tenants appeared in court to hear the magistrates grant the closure orders.

Steven Clarke, 50, told the court he fled the flat three months ago when it was taken over by drug dealers.

Linda Mart, 40, said bags of crack cocaine pipes discovered in her flat belonged to a former boyfriend that she had not got round to throwing them away.

Evidence of drugs and drug paraphernalia was also found in the flat of Stephen Cummings, 34.

The magistrates agreed on the evidence put before them to grant the closure orders on all three properties, which have now been sealed off.

Cummings and Mart, who admitted to smoking crack cocaine in their council flats, told the court they intend to appeal the closure orders.

The council is now taking immediate action to seize back the properties.

Coun Dudley Mead, deputy leader and cabinet member for housing, said: "We will not tolerate drug pushers and those associated with them operating out of our flats, and we will do all in our power to stop them ruining other people's lives.

"I would like to praise all the residents who provided evidence to help us put a stop to this illegal activity."