City squatters flee before police raid to evict them

SCORES of police officers clutching riot shields raided squats shortly after dawn yesterday – but those who had been occupying the premises in central Bristol had already left.

The massive policing operation saw an estimated 15 police vans full of nearly 100 officers descend on High Street at 6.30am.

But inside numbers 39-40, 45 and 46 High Street it was eerily quiet after squatters had already fled the buildings, following a court ordering them to leave on Thursday.

Police have alleged the squats have been at the centre of a rise in anti-social behaviour, with nearby businesses and residents complaining of a loss of income and serious nuisance.

Magistrates granted a closure order on Thursday and less than 24 hours later bailiffs and police turned up in force to evict them.

Once doors to the premises were forced open and barricades removed it became clear those staying there had already left.

Many are thought to have instead moved to a different squat in Bristol – the former Salvation Army building on Dean Lane in Bedminster.

After coming up empty in central Bristol, dozens of police officers later yesterday entered the Dean Lane squat, where three people were arrested.

There was no attempt to evict other squatters from that site as police had no powers to do so.

Of the High Street raid Chief Inspector Rob Cheeseman said: “Members of the public had described the area as a ‘no go zone’ which is not something we could tolerate.

“As well as empty properties being unlawfully occupied, neighbouring buildings had also sustained damage, while local traders continued to suffer from reduced footfall as a result of people being put off by the anti-social behaviour.

“Once the closure order was granted we could not allow the situation to continue. We didn’t know the exact number of people inside the buildings and so significant resources were put in place to ensure any operation to vacate the properties was carried out quickly and safely.

“Those who had occupied the properties had gone to great lengths to prevent others gaining access to them. They’d reinforced the ground floor doors and windows and had used furniture to create barricades.”

He also said there was significant damage to the buildings’ interiors.

Police said that on arrival at Dean Lane police liaison officers were able to negotiate with the occupants of the property and two suspects subsequently presented themselves for arrest. Officers then entered the property in order to carry out a third arrest.

Those arrested and in custody last night were a 40-year-old man on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and escaping lawful custody; a 26-year-old man on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and escaping lawful custody, and a woman on suspicion of affray.

CI Cheeseman said: “While every effort was made to engage with the suspects and encourage them to come forward voluntarily, it was ultimately necessary to use our powers to enter the property to carry out a further arrest.

“I’d like to stress that this was not an operation to evict the occupants of the building, as we did not hold the necessary powers to do so.”

Jonathan Myers > Police officers arrive in force to evict squatters; below, even rooftops were checked by the officers