A group of squatters who took over a Gordon Ramsay pub in London’s affluent Regent’s Park area have said they will stay put, the Telegraph reported.
Squatters occupied the York & Albany gastropub last week, saying they wanted to create a “community space” with the building.
“It seems entirely appropriate that £13 million properties that most locals would never be able to afford to visit should be open to all,” the group said.
Lawyers for Gordon Ramsay Holdings International Limited (GRHI) obtained a court order for possession of the property earlier this week.
But a series of orders, which had been stuck to the pub’s door, were removed on Saturday, with one of the squatters claiming to have “made a deal” with the landlord.
“We have reached an agreement. With the owner, not with Ramsay. We are still here and we will continue to stay here. We will ensure his safety,” they said, according to The Telegraph.
The Grade II listed building is part of a legal battle between Ramsay and director Gary Love, who acquired the freehold in 2007.
Ramsay, a celebrity chef, restaurateur and TV presenter, had leased the pub to Love on a 25-year deal.
However, attempts to terminate the lease in 2015 were unsuccessful.
The building is now for sale for £13 million, or about $16 million.
London’s Metropolitan Police told Business Insider at the time the squatters moved in that they were “aware” of the situation and would “take action where appropriate.”
Business Insider has contacted Gordon Ramsay’s team for comment.
This is not the first time squatters have made headlines this year.
At New York, couple couldn’t move into $2 million home they bought in Queens after a squatter refused to vacate the property.
The couple took the squatter to court to try to evict him, but he sued for harassment.
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