Artists accuse council over workshop sale

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They say they agreed two years ago to spend £70,000 on Stockwell Studios, a former hospital, in exchange for a five-year lease. But the Labour-run council last month signed a deal with Henley Homes.

The company said it hoped to find new workshops for the artists but is likely to build over the garden.

Eli Seath, of charity Art4Space, said: "They asked us to do all these works and spend this money and then say, 'We're selling now'. "

Sue Blandford, an artist who has worked at the studios for 14 years, said: "We thought that on something that involved us in so much time and expense we could trust them."

Lambeth said the artists had "illegally occupied" the site since 1987, had not paid rent and the building was in "poor repair".

A spokesman said the council had "always been clear" it would sell the site.

The artists failed to ratify the terms of the proposed lease so it was withdrawn.