TWO men found by police hiding under a bed in a banned house have appeared before York Magistrates' Court.

The same court had banned everyone apart from the woman living in the house to enter the property in Wilberforce Avenue, Clifton, until July 10 this year.

It had made a closure order on April 11 after police convinced the court it was needed to prevent anti-social behaviour or nuisance to neighbours occurring at the house.

Shauna Carroll, prosecuting, told York magistrates police went to the house on April 25 at 10pm and found both Lee Franklin, 39, and Roland Benson, 45, inside, as well as the woman resident.

Franklin, of Lowther Street, The Groves, and Benson, of Rowntree Avenue, Clifton, both admitted being on premises subject to a closure notice.

Magistrates heard their cases at separate hearings because Benson was late arriving at court.

Ms Carroll said when police arrived, they saw notices on the house’s front door and side door saying that the property was subject to the closure order.

The woman resident let them into the building and officers searched it.

They found both men hiding under the bed in the main bedroom.

Benson, who represented himself, said the woman had asked him to go to the house “because her boyfriend had just been released from prison she was frightened".

Half an hour after he arrived at the house, police knocked on the door and the woman had told him "you are not meant to be here” and told him about the signs on the doors.

He said he had not seen the signs on arrival because it was dark.

“I just thought I was watching out for her,” he said.

For Franklin, Lee-Anne Robins-Hicks said although he had a history of offending he had been out of trouble for five years and now worked as a scaffolder.

His mental health had deteriorated in the run-up to April 25.

“He acknowledges when that happens, he sometimes can associate with people who are not potentially the best people to associate with,” she said.

He had known the woman for “some considerable time” but had not seen her recently.

He had not seen the notices when the woman let him into the house on April 25 as they had been hidden behind her, but he was told after he got into the house about the closure notice.

Magistrates conditionally discharged both men for six months and ordered them to pay a £26 statutory surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.