The Peasant pub, formerly known as George and Dragon, has been cleared of squatters after a claim for possession was issued to Central London County Court.
By Amelia Braddick
The Peasant pub, formerly known as George and Dragon, has been cleared of squatters after a claim for possession was issued to Central London County Court.
On April 10, squatters were evicted by Equivo Limited, a legal service, who said there were believed to be between 10 and 12 people living there with two spaniel dogs.
The pub, located at 238–240 St John Street, Clerkenwell, had a notice of possession taped to its doors announcing the building had been ‘re-entered and secured’ under a Writ of Possession issued on 5 April 2024.
One Clerkenwell resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “About 6 months ago or so The Peasant was closed.
“Signs went up about a renovation, and it was clear that the owners were doing some kind of work inside. But then the windows were boarded from within, and the lights went out.”
They added: “Then a few months ago some activity seemed to be happening inside, but the pub never opened and it was always just shadows moving inside at night.
“Neighbours and I assumed it was squatters, and that eventually became quite clear once more of them moved in, and they started putting up makeshift curtains.”
Jonathan Chatfield, the Managing Director of Equivo Limited explained the legal process of removing squatters: “A claim for possession is issued in the County Court.
“The Occupiers receive notice of the hearing in the County Court before a District Judge, who decides based on the facts and evidence.
“In this case, the Occupiers did not attend the hearing. The County Court then granted a Possession Order which is subsequently transferred to the High Court for Enforcement.
“As High Court Enforcement Officers, we enforce the commandments of the Courts and have a duty to safely remove any occupiers and deliver possession of the property back to the Landlord.”
Mr Chatfield added: “It is an offence to obstruct a High Court Enforcement Officer under Paragraph 10 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.” He confirmed that no one was arrested at The Peasant.
The Peasant has been secured and at the time the images were taken, there were lights on inside.
Squatters can legally become the registered owner of property or land they’ve occupied without the owner’s permission if they’ve occupied the property continuously for 10 years (12 years if it’s not registered with HM Land Registry), according to Government guidance.
