According to the local rag The Argus, a squat in Kingsway, Hove was raided on Monday afternoon by a gang of six men carrying crowbars and baseball bats led by a Rottweiler. A group of 12 men and women have been using the site for about 3 weeks and were so terrified that they had to barricade themselves in an upstairs room.
Whilst they were up there the gang smashed the furniture, broke windows, ripped out the fuse boxes and pissed on their property including mattresses. Later that afternoon police arrested 3 men on suspicion of criminal damage and threatening behaviour.
According to one of the squatters "I was holding the (bedroom) door shut and they smashed it through with a crowbar, which cut my face and neck. There is a window at the side of the room and they smashed it to try and get in. One of them was kneeing the rottweiler in the head trying to wind it up and make it go for us. They said they would be back and we would be thrown out"
The two semi-detached homes are owned by a property development company called Stranmede Ltd. They originally applied to the police to report the occupation but were advised it was legal and there was no action they could take.
Then Stranmede boss David Martin decided to send the boys round. Seemingly admitting his involvement Martin said "it is a lot easier for the police to arrest 3 men rather than a dozen squatters"
According to one of the squatters "I was holding the (bedroom) door shut and they smashed it through with a crowbar, which cut my face and neck. There is a window at the side of the room and they smashed it to try and get in. One of them was kneeing the rottweiler in the head trying to wind it up and make it go for us. They said they would be back and we would be thrown out"
The two semi-detached homes are owned by a property development company called Stranmede Ltd. They originally applied to the police to report the occupation but were advised it was legal and there was no action they could take.
Then Stranmede boss David Martin decided to send the boys round. Seemingly admitting his involvement Martin said "it is a lot easier for the police to arrest 3 men rather than a dozen squatters"
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