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Squatters clashed with police in riot gear today after bailiffs failed to evict them from a property in Hackney.
A stand-off was under way this afternoon after some of the squatters barricaded themselves inside a property near Victoria Park. About 20 police were outside, dodging missiles being thrown from a window.
Bailiffs had been sent into two homes by the Crown Estate. Squatters were removed without problems from the first one, but trouble broke out when bailiffs, supported by police, arrived in Skipworth Road at about 11.30am.
No warning had been given of their arrival and police vans quickly shut off the street.
The action follows a court order obtained in June by the Crown Estate, which is trying to sell an estimated 1,300 homes across London.
Madeleine Davis, of the Victoria Park residents' association, said the squatters had been welcomed by many locals since their arrival several months ago. “The squatters think that if these properties are being left empty they might as well be used to house people,” she said.
But another resident, Marie Liberman, said: “They did look very, very scruffy. They were coming out with bits and pieces they'd taken into the house and they went into a car. If they can afford a car and a mobile phone, they can afford to pay rent and taxes.”
She said the empty homes had previously been occupied by young families with children, adding: “Now these people have got the effrontery to break into properties ... to live there without contributing to society.”
A Crown Estate spokesman said: “We have been made aware of a number of squatters in properties on its Victoria Park estate. We have taken appropriate steps through the courts and have been granted immediate possession' of the properties.”
In May the Crown Estate board decided to progress with plans to sell its freehold of its Cumberland Market, Millbank, Victoria Park and Lee Green housing estates, and is talking to prospective buyers. The estate says it will consult residents on any sale and any final decision would be in autumn.
A majority of residents are opposed to the Crown Estate sell-off in Victoria Park, and the issue has been raised in Parliament.
Reader views (33)
I lost my job once, and some of these 'dirty squotters' helped me. They are nice people. They work, study, live much like everyone else. It is sad how things work in London.
- Arek, Hackney, London, 21/08/2010 21:48
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I knew some people living in the houses mentioned above and they were some of the most lovely, polite people I'd met. Most residents in the area loved them or at least got on well with them and they attended meetings with the locals about squatting and what the locals wanted to do in the campaign to save their houses.
In the houses that I went in to, there was no damage done to the buildings and it was just nice to be able to see them being used and life being kept in them.
To stoop low and call the squatters "scruffy", "scroungers", whatever just shows that some people have no real argument against them. Most of the people commenting here never met the squatters so have no idea if they were working or not (and most that I know were doing voluntary work - being able to live rent-free meant they could focus more time on working for free for charities, etc. instead of having to get a job in KFC or some other crap place and be able to speand less time on important issues).
Trespass is a civil offence, not crimnal offence in England and you can't squat a property that's in use - so, no, it's not like if you came home from work and found someone in your house! As one poster has already said, most of the time, bailiffs will inform you of the date of eviction in advance or you can arrange to leave voluntarily - if that had happened, the police wouldn't have had to have their time wasted either!
I hope they all have places to go and good luck to the residents!
- Emily, London, 13/08/2010 12:30
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wow, squatters, and you're bragging, too!
- Maria Cristina, U.S., 12/08/2010 13:57
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Don't worry, we will squat again and again all your empty's houses.
Just gas all the people who are up to let people outside !
- Vince, Squatter, LONDON, 12/08/2010 11:28
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There was one car between 40 of 6 squats evicted this day. Most have bikes they built from scratch from scrap bike parts and often repair them at free squatting community bike shops scattered about the city (open to public). The 2 vans that came to help people move things came from outside as volunteers from a pool of communities of 100s of squatters. As for being scruffy, of course. Woken up at 8 am without warning. Reasonable bailiffs often give either advanced warning or are called by squatters themselves to arrange a voluntary removal (large social centres are traditionally defended however). These dialogues allow people to find time to leave and prevents these clashes. Lastly, some of these properties have been emptied for years. Crown Estate wish to wholesale several of their estates across London by 2010. Many were intended as cheap housing for key skill workers such as nurses, police and teachers, now to be gone. 10% of police officers live outside of London because of no affordable housing for example. There is a long campaign with the residents against Crown Estate against selling their homes and every house on many streets have posters on windows saying "Don't sell our homes" and "No to Crown Estate". To appease residents and some MPs who have got behind them, they have said they will consider each case, but rent has gone up on the majority of leases by an extra £200-£300 pounds. Police broke surveillance laws by filming with a civilian phone and 3 assaults claimed
- Squatter, London, UK, 12/08/2010 11:01
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Celery. There are no settlements in Gaza. It belonged to us after the 1967 War, therefore "settlements" were built but on our land. We gave the Sinai peninsular to Egypt in 1973 and this included Gaza. The settlements were demolished when we gave this land to Egypt. Egypt then pulled out of Gaza and the Hamas got in. Now we seal it all off because its a threat. We have NO residents there.
Re: West Bank: Settlements in the west bank (there are around 180) include parts of Jerusalem, where the East Jerusalem section (under PA control) relies on us for FREE electricity and council services. We have some residents there but the PA residents get their services free of charge from Iriat Yerushalayim.
Other settlements in the Shomron area are built on land bought for the going price, and come under our jurisdiction.
Squatting however, is ILLEGAL and the authorities in the UK did the right thing by removing these trespassers.
- Andrew, Tel Aviv, Israel, 12/08/2010 07:59
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Andrew- Tel Aviv, What's your viewpoint on the illeagal Israeli squatters in the west bank and Gaza? Do you advocate their forced removal?
- Celery, London, 12/08/2010 07:49
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@ Andrew from Tel Aviv - in England and Wales squatting is not a crime - it is a civil matter to be resolved in the civil courts between the squatters and the owners. It is ironic to say the least that someone who lives in a country whose borders are in dispute is lecturing UK readers about property rights.
- Arfur Towcrate, Staffycher, 12/08/2010 07:40
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To all those in support of these criminals trespassing and doing damage to someone elses property.
I am certain you would be looking at it completely differently if an intruder was in your house.
When I come to visit London, i may have nowhere to park my rental car. Why dont I bring it to one of your houses, and without permission park it in your driveway. Im sure you wont mind.. Of course youd mind!!
Squatting is illegal and the removal of these people was absolutely the right thing to do.
- Andrew, Tel Aviv, Israel, 12/08/2010 07:17
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Austen, London - I agree wholeheartedly with your comment, and I'll tell you why.. I lived and worked in London for ten years and the one thing that struck me the most was the general sense of apathy... almost a communal silent agreement to not stir any waters notwithstanding their deep discontent. I wanted to shake these people off their slumber and tell them to stand up and say something!!!
- Maria Cristina, U.S., 11/08/2010 22:25
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Funny how the most extreme reactions are from people not living in London / the UK.
- Austen, London, 11/08/2010 22:07
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The Police have their hands tied, give them back the powers that they need for this lawless society.
- Joe, Gibraltar, 11/08/2010 21:48
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@ Aaron - yes, I'm for real - and just because I point out the hypocrisy of one American poster doesn't make me one; I don't live in India or Ireland, but in England.
@ Maria Christina - ditto the above - and no, squatters are not thieves according to English criminal law.
How come we have American posters on this site? Is the USA that boring or devoid of social problems now that the wars on drugs and terror have been won, racism no longer exists and guns are firmly under control?
- Arfur Towcrate, Staffycher, 11/08/2010 20:13
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Give the job to a police force that has some cojones like the Spanish or French.
- gresham, marbella spain, 11/08/2010 20:01
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Aslef, I sincerely hope you are right - my fear is that people like you (seeking and finding employment even during a season of 'draught') are becoming more rare... I continuously read stories of people not even bothering to look for a job - any job - as they get much more from the taxpayers by doing absolutely nothing 
Equally, this squatters problem --- negligible even 10 years ago --- is now becoming more commonplace and even accepted by some! (see a few comments below...) As a hardworking woman, I feel utterly defeated!
- Maria Cristina, U.S., 11/08/2010 19:31
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How sad. My parents occupied this house for over 30 years and my siblings and i grew up there until the last one left 6 months ago. My parents loved that house and the community (they both passed away some years ago) and i only hope the squatters looked after what was, to my family, a wonderful warm home.
- Sam, London, 11/08/2010 19:26
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Bloody hell, we lived in a flat on the Crown Estate in Northium Street, just off Victoria Park Road. You'd think the squatters would be well dressed and pleasantly spoken as they were living in what used to Royal Estates. I'd send in the Beefeaters.
- Barry Coidan, Walthamstow, Essex, 11/08/2010 19:14
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Maria Christina - no I'm not Arthur, just me but glad I got a giggle out of you.
Squatting is a tiny, tiny problem on both sides of the pond. Having been unemployed in the 90s and forced to live on benefits I can tell you it doesn't go far so unless you have no ambitions for your life work will always be preferable.
If you really think any of that is going to bring civilization crashing down then you are very much mistaken
- ASLEF shrugged, Leyton, UK, 11/08/2010 19:08
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Arfur and Aslef (probably the same person), you DO make me laugh... I wonder where the Mayflower settlers had come from!!
Squatters are thieves. if the UK government doesn't take a strong stance against them and - more broadly - against the current, lax laws governing the beneficiaries of tax benefits, the societal system of work + effort = reward will capitulate.
- Maria Cristina, U.S., 11/08/2010 18:52
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These homes currently part of the Crown Estate have been left deliberately vacant for many months in order to make the estate more attractive to any potential buyer in their plan of selling four estates across London. Many local residents, even if not entirely comfortable with squatting recognise that this is totally unacceptable and have, to varying degrees, tolerated the squats. Some squatters have not necessarily recognised that they need to live in good harmony with neighbours in order to hold support. That said, many still feel that the major offence here is by the Crown Estate in leaving these properties empty (their choice based lettings (CBL) system was suspended at the beginning of the year). While it nominally recommenced CBL last week the new terms being imposed will prevent many of the people already on the list from taking up any lettings leaving them to estate agents. The particular property which is the subject of this item will now be occupied by a 24 hour security firm until such time as Crown have sold off the Estates against the express wishes of 99% of it tenants and leaseholders. The Crown Estate are the bad guys here exercising not 'good stewardship' which is what they have always claimed for their estate management, but commercial greed and a total disregard of their tenants and leaseholders wishes to remain part of The Crown Estate. Many tenants have been on the estate for more than fifty years and are facing great worry in their declining years. SHAME
- Alan, Hackney, London, 11/08/2010 18:05
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@Arfur,
"the USA was founded without regard to the concept that 'if it isn't yours, don't touch it / leave it alone' - ask any Native American":
Are you for real? Do India and Ireland (just to name a couple) ring a bell?
- Aaron, New York, NY, 11/08/2010 18:02
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"Funny how the anti-squatter spammers regurgitate the same cliches huh"
If something is applicable, it doesn't become invalid once stated. Squatters NEVER improve property. It is ALWAYS left in a worse state than when they entered. They rationalise their breaking and entering as they talk about young families desperate for accommodation - but it isn't the young families that are staying there is it! It's their communes of people looking for FREE accommodation and the like.
There is NO entitlement proffered by finding an unguarded property and breaking in. That is simple misappropriation of property. If they want to take the moral high ground then they should be campaigning for the people they use as excuses for their theft. Other than mouthing sanctimonious ("regurgitated cliche") clap-trap that clearly means nothing to them, that ain't happening, is it!
- Rogan, Irving, 11/08/2010 17:31
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Marie Liberman said,'If they can afford a car and a mobile phone, they can afford to pay rent and taxes.”, obviously she will say exactly the same to immigrant families who have a car and a mobile and have jumped our massive housing queues and are sitting around all day getting EVERYTHING paid for by OUR HARD EARNED TAX MONEY, 'OF COURSE SHE WILL SWEETHEART'
- sean o'leary, walthamstow london, 11/08/2010 17:12
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'if it isn't yours, don't touch it/leave it alone' – Katie, NM, USA.
Bush, Cheney, Halliburton, Iraq, helloooo????? Makes a bunch of crusties sneaking in a flat look a little insignificant
- ASLEF shrugged, Leyton, UK, 11/08/2010 17:08
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just threaten them with a bar of soap.
Job done.
- Mr Muscle, Dagenham, 11/08/2010 17:02
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"the authorities are perfectly happy to throw these people out on the street and make them destitute"
I think you'd be surprised, I've never known anyone who squatted that didn't have at least a part time job.
- Bob, Cheam, 11/08/2010 16:41
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Squatting is a solution to homelessness! Solidarity to the Hackney squatters
- Alx, London, 11/08/2010 16:38
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Funny how the anti-squatter spammers regurgitate the same cliches huh? Good on the squatters, if there are homes empty and not being used then why not live there - It'll solve the housing shortage overnight
- Alx, London, 11/08/2010 16:37
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Given the problems of homelessness in London, it makes no sense for these homes to be empty. Under such circumstances, the squatters have the moral authority to take over these properties. That doesn't justify their attacking the police, nor Tony the Idiot's suggestion.
@ Katie in New Mexico - the USA was founded without regard to the concept that 'if it isn't yours, don't touch it / leave it alone' - ask any Native American.
- Arfur Towcrate, Staffycher, 11/08/2010 16:30
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“The squatters think that if these properties are being left empty they might as well be used to house people,” she said.
Aren't children in the U.K. taught 'if it isn't yours, don't touch it / leave it alone'? I know that more and more children in the USA are being taught that they are somehow entitled to that which they have NOT earned. It's getting crazy and the more that people are provided for by their fellow citizens [read government subsidies], the worse this attitude is going to get.
- Katie, New Mexico, USA, 11/08/2010 16:13
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Just gas them out. Easy.
Scumbags. Get a wash and a job.
- Tony the Trader, Limehouse, London, 11/08/2010 15:50
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So, -on the one hand the authorities are perfectly happy to throw these people out on the street and make them destitute,(like a throwback to Dickensian Britain)- while on the other hand -throwing the doors open to new immigrants and asylum seekers.
''There may be trouble ahead''
- Huggy, Cumbernauld Scotland, 11/08/2010 15:48
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Bring in the water cannons and arrest all of them. This country is the laughing stock of the world. For God's sake, please give us a government that gets tough, really tough!
- Sue, Kent, 11/08/2010 15:32
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