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Ravers seize £10 million house
Last updated at 21:52pm on 31.08.06
Revellers are flocking to this house in north London.
Squatters have seized a £10 million home to host drug-fuelled raves, it has emerged.
Furious residents of the exclusive Primrose Hill area of North London say their lives have been made a nightmare since the eight bedroom house was taken over two months ago.
The occupants charge hundreds of ravers £5 each to attend all-night parties which shatter the peace of the area that is home to celebrities including David Walliams, Gwen Stefani, Sadie Frost and Jamie Oliver.
The front of the house is littered with beer cans, broken glass and used needles, while inside the carpets have been ripped up and the walls covered in graffiti.
But despite scores of complaints, police say they are powerless to act until the owner of the property gets a court order to evict the revellers.
The squatters boast that the only thing the police have done is to politely ask them to keep the noise down.
The takeover comes amid a resurgence in illegal rave parties, fuelled by confusion over the Government's reclassification of drugs and pocket money prices for substances.
Kitty Massey, whose home backs on to the garden of the occupied house, said the scale of the raves was 'unimaginable'.
'Hundreds of screaming teenagers are turning up in droves and heavy metal and rock music has been blasting out day and night.
'It was a beautiful and magnificent home but now it is a wreck.
'I am shocked that nothing has been done to stop it. I've made hundreds of complaints in the last eight weeks.
'It appears that squatters' rights are more important than my own. The law is an ass if it cannot control criminal activity of this nature.'
She said the home, which is set on an acre of land on Radlett Place, was bought by a Russian businessman last year.
Jane Anderson-Craig who lives near the house said the parties were highly organised and well-advertised.
'The squatters are charging the guests to come in and making a small fortune selling them cans of beer and drugs.
'The police say there is very little they can do and that they are at the mercy of the squatters until they get a court order.
'In the meantime the residents are suffering and are frightened to go out at night.'
The squatters have fitted metal grills over the windows and pasted a notice to the front door declaring: 'Take notice that we live in this property. It is our home and we intend to stay here.'
Inside three stages have been erected for DJs to perform on and signs have been put up over makeshift bars selling cans of beer at £2.50 each and spirits at £2 a shot.
Cans and bottles litter the floor of the house which has been 'decorated' with graffiti covered walls and psychedelic flags.
Upstairs en-suite bedrooms have been turned into communal sleeping areas where at least eight punk squatters are living.
One squatter, sporting a huge green mohican haircut and nose piercings, said: 'All we were doing was having peace parties, man.
'The police came round but they were fine with it, they just asked us to turn the music down.'
A DJ who played in the most recent party said: 'I think people have the right to party in beautiful houses with beautiful gardens.'
A police spokesman said: 'Officers are aware of the problems residents have been experiencing in regard to excess noise and are liaising with the council and residents to try and resolve the matter.'
Last week nine police officers were injured by an angry mob of partygoers as they tried to stop an illegal rave in Great Chesterford, near Saffron Walden, Essex.
Reader views (13)
Oh, come on, "frightened to go out at night"? Who's afraid of people dancing? I'm sure the noise is very annoying but "afraid"? Don't be ridiculous.
- Derek, London, 01/09/2006 12:17
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There are many properties being squatted around London and that is no news, the only problem here is because it is 'trendy' Primrose Hill.
This is definitely a social problem which would not catch the attention of the media if it was in the suburban areas of London, areas that do not have celebrities as neighbours.
- Isis Salvaterra, London, 01/09/2006 12:16
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I have no sympathy for the owner. The simplest way to avoid such incidents and prevent speculators from driving up prices for those of us struggling to afford a home in London is to tax second home owners incrementally. Doing so would reduce the scandal of empty homes in the city while essential workers are unable even to rent in the capital.
- James Hirst, London, 31/08/2006 14:45
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Very easy to get these guys out, pay someone else to take the place from them. Of course wait until the place is virtually empty, not during a party. It's been done before. Get another crowd to chuck them out with the intention of squatting themselves, then they hand it back to the owner instead, after spending a few days there. People will do this for the right price.
- Bob, Dublin, 31/08/2006 14:40
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While I feel real sympathy for the neighbours, anything that can help deter the amount of large houses in smart parts of London being purchased as simply an unoccupied investment rather than being a family home can only be a good thing.
- Jon, London, 31/08/2006 14:24
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My only complaint is the music policy - anyone got any jungle?
- Easyandy, London, 31/08/2006 14:20
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Let's hope the police don't start using brutal tactics like we saw in Essex last weekend to get them out.
- Ian Pine, Dorset, 31/08/2006 14:19
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Chris from Kent - You ever heard of Squatters rights? I thought 'ravers' like yourself were a bit more liberally minded.
- Bob, London, 31/08/2006 14:06
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This is NOT a rave. These are NOT ravers. I should know as I am a raver who goes to raves. They are squatters with no respect for the law or any other human being. DO NOT tarnish us law abiding, peaceful, environment conscious people with these criminals. It is irresponsible and damaging to everything we believe.
- Chris, Kent, 31/08/2006 13:37
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Fair play to them I say, if the house is empty and going to waste, then why not put it to some good use?
- Pno, Dorset, 31/08/2006 13:35
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when's the next one? Can I go?
- Daffodil, United Kingdom, 31/08/2006 13:12
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I'm bringing the boys down from Brum. This is just the type of weekend away I've been looking for.
- Skunky Rich, Birmingham, 31/08/2006 13:02
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This situation will persist for as long as UK law favours the feckless and crimminal classes. Innocent people and victims of crime don't get legal aid, criminals do. This state of affairs will persist for as long as the self interest of greedy lawyers is allowed to dominate in the UK. Run by lawyers, administered by lawyers, judged by lawyers, making laws which directly financially benefit lawyers... a right old gravy train.
- James Ritchie, London, UK, 31/08/2006 11:21
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