A group of squatters were evicted from a property in Norbiton and are now in a stalemate with the Royal Borough of Kingston Council.
Romina Rovira
Security guards armed with dogs have been placed on the premises in order to stop the squatters from returning.
But the squatters claim that they were evicted before they had the chance to respond or stop the eviction.
David, one of the squatters still in the area, said: “There are security people who are getting paid to stay here and it indicates that they are probably going to make good money out of whatever they are going to do with the place.
“We tried to talk to them, but they didn’t want to talk to us and the building isn’t scheduled to be taken down for some time.”
The squatters have said that they were keen to start community projects within the Norbiton and Kingston area with activities and workshops involving other residents as well as themselves.
Neighbours have no issue with squatters
Neighbours and residents in the area didn’t seem to be bothered by the squatters and some were completely unaware of them until the police arrived to evict the group.
Norbiton resident, Darren said: “They [the squatters] haven’t bothered anybody really.”
Squatters hindering Kingston
However, Kingston Council claim that the squatters are hindering “an important project to build homes for Kingston people” and that the council is being “forced to spend law-abiding council tax payers’ money on court action to get the squatters out and to make sure that they and others can’t come back”.
Last week the leader of Kingston Council, Derek Osbourne, said that they believed that there were connections between this group of squatters and a group removed from Surbiton in 2008.