A group of squatters have taken over a pub in London belonging to celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.
At least six squatters broke into and are residing in York & Albany, an eatery connected to the hotel in Camden Town, as reported by The Sun and BBC News. The property is temporarily closed while Ramsay is finding a new buyer for $16.1 million.
Photographs published by multiple media outlets showed the windows of the store boarded up and the doors locked using kitchen utensils.
Apart from taking over the property, the squatters reportedly turned York & Albany into a "free cafe for the community," naming it Camden Art Cafe. The cafe operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the squatters told The Telegraph.
How Did Authorities Respond?
It is unclear when the squatters first arrived at York & Albany. Per the Business Insider, Metropolitan Police were made aware of the squatting incident on April 10. The squatters are now threatening to sue anyone who attempts to remove them from the property.
"Take notice that we occupy this property and at all times there is at least one person in occupation. That any entry or attempt to enter into these premises without our permission is, therefore, a criminal offense as any one of us who is in physical possession is opposed to such entry without our permission," a notice taped to one of the pub's doors read.
The notice also noted that "LASPO," or the 2012 Legal Aid, Sentencing, and Punishment Offenders Act, does not apply to them. Under LASPO, occupying a non-residential building is not a crime.
The Sun noted that Ramsay had already called the police on the squatters. However, the Metropolitan Police in London said the issue was a "civil matter" and was not treated as an emergency call-out.
In Britain, squatters can apply to become the registered owners of a property if they have occupied it continuously for 10 years, acted as owners for the whole of that time, and had not been previously given permission to live there by the owner.
The property was leased to Ramsay by film director Gary Love in 2007. Ramsay attempted to free himself of the lease in 2015 but failed to do so.
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