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Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay of “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Kitchen Nightmares” fame recently learned that his $16.21 million London pub has been taken over by squatters.
A group of at least six people have locked themselves inside the York and Albany hotel and gastropub near Regent’s Park, according to a report from the BBC. In addition to barricading themselves inside and boarding up windows, the squatters put up a “legal notice” claiming that they have a right to occupy the property.
The notice goes on to argue that the occupants have a right to claim the property, which is not a residential building, and therefore not protected under 2012 legislation that banned squatting in residential buildings.
“Take notice that we occupy this property and at all times there is at least one person in occupation,” the warning sign reads. “That any entry or attempt to enter into these premises without our permission is therefore a criminal offence as any one of us who is in physical possession is opposed to such entry without our permission.”
“That if you attempt to enter by violence or by threatening violence we will prosecute you,” the notice continues. “You may receive a sentence of up to six months’ imprisonment and/or a fine of up to £5,000.”
Squatters at £13m Gordon Ramsay pub defend occupation https://t.co/04RRCNzsUd
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) April 14, 2024
The notice, which was signed by “The Occupiers,” also noted that anyone seeking to evict them from the building will have to do so through legal means. The squatters ultimately hope to convert the location into an art cafe.
London Metropolitan Police announced that they were alerted to the squatters’ presence earlier this week, but “did not attend to the property” because the matter is a “civil issue.
Neither Gordon Ramsay nor his restaurant group have issued a public comment on the issue. The celebrity chef currently owns 35 restaurants worldwide after opening his first establishment in London’s Chelsea section in 1998.
