SQUATTERS who tried to break back into a Taunton property they had taken over have been arrested.

Police acted following complaints from neighbours, who claimed they had been plagued by months of anti-social behaviour.

Locals say they were subjected to late-night music, swearing, drunkenness and rubbish outside the house in Belvedere Road.

When they spotted it empty last Thursday, they contacted the police, who arranged for the landlord to board up the premises.

Officers arrested two men and a woman as they tried to get in the next day. They were later released on bail.

Town centre sergeant Sgt Mike Griffiths said: "We had reports of anti-social behaviour, including drunkenness and loud music and lots of transient people moving in and out.

"We attended in the past and got the residents to act together as a community to report incidents to us.

"We've acted positively and quickly. We won't tolerate this sort of problem."

One neighbour said everyone had pulled together and they were grateful to the police.

"We were scared to go past the building - people hanging out the window, making rude comments," said the neighbour. "It was intimidating.

"When we noticed it was empty, we contacted the police, who got the landlord to board it up."

Taunton Deane Council environmental health officers confirmed they had been called by locals worried about noise and rubbish, which was removed following their intervention.

A council spokeswoman said: "The occupants in the property have since left and the building has been boarded up."

The owner of the property said the problems came from a maisonette on the top two floors of the three-storey building.

"An unruly crowd moved and I tried to get an eviction order - but it's not easy," he said.

"We sealed the property last Friday because the police told us it was empty.

"The next process is to see what damage has been done, put it right and find some decent tenants."