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It could soon be chucking out time at the Black Bull. The disused inn, around the corner from Chelsea's football ground in south-west London, has been occupied by squatters for two weeks. The landlord wants his property back.
The confrontation comes as Conservative MPs are pressing for the criminalisation of squatting to be extended to commercial premises to prevent abandoned pubs, empty offices and warehouses being targeted.
The demands are an attempt to prevent an influx of those who fear being driven out of houses and flats by changes in the law that came into effect on 1 September.
Making the occupation of residential properties with permission a criminal offence has coincided with a crisis in the pub trade. An average of 18 pubs a week are closing down. Shifting drinking patterns, competition from supermarkets and a rise in beer tax have been blamed.
Abandoned pubs have been selected as squatters swap sites to avoid risking a criminal record. Among them have been the Cross Keys in Chelsea, the Tournament in Earls Court, both in London, the Upper Bell Inn near Chatham, Kent, and the Bute Dock Hotel in Cardiff. Bar areas are classified as commercial, but any upstairs landlord's flat may be deemed residential.
Criminalise squatting in commercial premises, say Tory MPs | Society | The Guardian
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