Camden: Squatters to leave Gordon Ramsay pub York & Albany

The group, which said it was the Anarchist Association London Branch, locked themselves inside the Grade II-listed York & Albany in Parkway last week.

Yesterday (April 18), lawyers for Gordon Ramsay Holdings International Limited (GRHI) told a judge it had an “immediate right to possession” of the pub and asked for an order to retake the property amid a “risk of public disturbance”.

Judge Simon Brown granted the order at a short hearing in London, paving the way for High Court enforcement officers to retake the occupied pub in the coming days.

The High Court order taped to the pub (Image: PA)

But in a statement shared with the PA news agency, the squatters vowed they would leave within 24 hours.

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The statement, which referred to Ramsay as “the foul-mouthed chef”, said: “This swanky building has been left empty for years, even though Camden has some of the worst levels of rough sleeping in the country.

“Some of these rough sleepers decided to take their right to housing into their own hands.”

It added: “The fact that the chef was able to obtain the order that quickly shows that the legal system is designed for the rich. It has nothing to do with justice.

“Laws won’t help us, politicians won’t help us. They only serve the wealthy and powerful.

“Only we can help ourselves. If people are not allowed to survive, they will take action to do so.

“All evictions are violence. But that won’t stop us from squatting and we hope our actions will inspire others to take back control of their lives.”

The pub went on sale at the end of last year with a guide price of £13 million.

According to a Companies House document, GRHI is the holding company that offers management and operational support to the restaurants within the Gordon Ramsay Restaurants Limited group.

Reporting by PA.