The building has been taken on a number of occasions previously, including in April 2007 when it was used for the Spring into Action weekend of climate change related events. While previous squatters have all been evicted from the building, little has been done in the interim, and the building is deteriorating, a tragic waste the new residents would like to see reversed.

The government admits to a total number of 62,528 vacant dwellings in the East Midlands, with almost half of these being vacant for more than 6 months. The JB Spray Factory has, in between periods of squatting, been vacant for years and its new residents hope to make good use of the large empty space.

The occupiers, a loosely formed collective currently going under the name “Squat Lobster,” have been occupying the old lace factory since late May, and have been working on the building ever since.

So far it has become a base for the Purple Nut Sedge food cooperative, a collective store/swapshop and a bike maintenance workshop. The space also has a residential area and a work space open for meetings, art, discussions and skillshares.

The squat has a list of things they need, for example help with plumbing and roofing, volunteers to run workshops and maintain the space, solar panels, wind turbines and transport.

Dinner has been provided in the building (almost!) every night at 8 and the website has details of other events the occupiers are facilitating, for example upcoming anarchist theory sessions and yoga classes. Residents of the squat are keen to encourage more people's projects and ideas within the space and are welcoming people who want to pop round, stay round or set something up and use the space!

The squat phone number is: 07905353929