Yahoo News Gordon Ramsay London pub owner denies squatters' claims they've 'made a deal'
Squatters who have vowed to stay put inside Gordon Ramsay's £13million North London pub claim they have made a deal - but it's not with Gordon. The group shut themselves In the York & Albany near Regents Park last week, setting up a now-closed 'autonomous cafe' inside the building, called Camden Art Cafe, pledging to serve free food to the local community.
Last week the Metropolitan Police said it was aware of the squatters, but did not attend because it was a civil matter. But lawyers for Gordon Ramsay Holdings International Limited (GRHI) secured a High Court order for the possession of the premises on Thursday (April 18), which may have paved the way for enforcement officers to retake the Grade II listed building.
On Saturday morning (April 20), court orders taped to the doors of the premises had been torn down and a squatter said the group would be staying put. “We’ve made a deal... With the owner, not Ramsay," he told Press Association. He later added: “We’re still here, and we’re going to carry on staying here. We’re going to be security for him.”
The former pub and hotel building in Camden is on the market for £13 million, after a protracted legal battle between the Hell's Kitchen presenter and film director Gary Love. In 2007, Mr Love purchased the freehold of the premises, before leasing the pub to Ramsay on a 25-year term for an annual rent of £640,000.
But after claims of an alleged deal with the squatters, Mr Love denied ever speaking to them. “For clarification neither I nor anyone from my team have had any contact with the occupiers/squatters of the building or anyone that represents them," he said in a statement to PA.
Gordon Ramsay attempted to free himself from the lease in 2015 but was unsuccessful in the High Court. On Thursday, lawyers for GRHI were granted an order by Judge Simon Brown to retake the property. Some of the squatters initially said they would comply with the ruling, leading to a steady stream of people leaving on Friday.
However, a number of those who left have since returned and it is unclear how many people remain inside the building. Banners which had been draped from the balcony, reading “whatever they say, squatters will stay” and “squat the lot”, have been removed by the occupants.
'We're trying to do a good thing here'
A man, who said he was a friend of one of the squatters, entered the York & Albany briefly on Friday (April 19) and said afterwards those inside had no intention of leaving. “They’re going to wait for the bailiff,” he told PA, adding: “That’s basically what they’re going to end up doing.”
The friend, who would not give his name but said he is a former squatter himself, added that those inside the building were young, homeless and had been squatting in various locations for a long time.
The squatter group ran a cafe out of the building last week, handing out free food and drink to “the people of Camden who have been victims of gentrification and parasitic projects like HS2″.
A squatter told the PA news agency on Friday: “We’re not bad people. I pay my taxes, I’ve got a job, I work in a pub.” He added: “We just need a place to stay, that’s it. We’re trying to do a good thing here.”
PA has attempted to contact Mr Love and Mr Ramsay for comment.
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