Lambeth Opens Up To Squatters

Well they didn't have much choice. Confronted with a Freedom of Information request from the Advisory Service for Squatters for a list of all the council's empty properties they had to comply as the list was in the public domain. Good news for smart "space invaders" looking for a new home and good news for the Daily Mail which gleefully dug up photos of an evicted person's worldly belongings, riot police and a former druggie squat site to illustrate this story of perfectly above board information obtaining. Lambeth Council and local Daily Mail readers should probably not have chickens yet, though. As Atom Tom will tell you, knowing where the empties are is only the first hurdle. Then contend with legally gaining access to the property and dodging "stealth Sitex men". Once you're in, setting up a squat fluffy or otherwise is no breeze. Still, we wait with interest to see if other councils are approached to give up their lists also.