Squatters at £13m Gordon Ramsay pub defend occupation

Squatters who have occupied a Gordon Ramsay pub in central London want to open the Grade II-listed building to people who could "previously not afford to visit".

It is believed at least six people are occupying the York & Albany near Regent's Park.

In a statement posted on social media, the group said it was aiming to set up an art cafe.

The building is currently up for sale with a £13m price tag.

Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, which is the leaseholder, has been contacted for comment by the BBC.

The Met Police has said it was called on Wednesday but did not attend as squatters were a "civil matter".

A statement, posted on an account the group has set up on Instagram called the Camden art cafe, said they aimed to open its doors regularly to "anyone and everyone, particularly the people of Camden who have been victims of gentrification".

It said the cafe, which it described as an "iconic building" which has stood in Camden since it opened in the 1820s, would provide "free food, drinks and a space to display art".

The statement continued: "Camden is a borough with one of the biggest wealth disparities in London, so it seems only fitting that £13m properties that most locals would never be able to afford to visit should be opened up to all."

A notice the group taped to a door on the building said they "had a right to occupy the venue" as it was not a "residential building" and was therefore not subject to 2012 legislation.

Occupation of a person's non-residential property without their permission is not a crime in England and Wales, though police can take action if crimes are subsequently committed, including damaging the property.

According to government guidance, 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 previously been given permission to live there by the owner.

In 2007, film director Gary Love bought the freehold of the former 19th Century coaching inn and subsequently leased it to Mr Ramsay on a 25-year term with an annual rent of £640,000.

The Kitchen Nightmares host unsuccessfully attempted to free himself from the lease in a legal battle at the High Court in 2015.

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