Squatting is in the frame once again- the government has declared its intention to close the loopholes which have survived since the common laws were abolished in 1977 and make it an offence.
The newspapers have taken up the propaganda initiative and stories abound- most of them not typical- of houses being taken over, often in the wealthier areas of London.
"The government must act to make squatting illegal. Squatters have had the upper hand for too long" thundered Martin Bentham only yesterday in the Evening Standard. Yet not all the articles in the London based paper have been quite so unequivocal.
Not so long ago, In the Homes and Property supplement of 10 August the advice cloumn was asked the following question. ( much abridged here)

Q: Our house is on the corner plot of a small development... 13 years ago we planted a hedge around the edge of the grass verge for privacy, though we knew full well that the grass verge did not actually belong to us...

A:... provided you can satisfy the legal tests of possession, which you seem to be able to do, then you can claim ''squatters rights''. This means that you may apply to the Land Registry...

So that seems clear then. For all the bellyaching we read about squatters, most of whom prefer to occupy empty properties, all is forgiven for ''adverse possessors'', which is simply the term for enclosing land which doesnt belong to you.
I would say never buy the Evening Standard again, except its now given away free.
One law for one, and another ...