The residents of Ainsworth house on Wellington road, Brighton, a Council-owned property, have been threatened with

eviction just days before Christmas. At least 25 people have been peacefully occupying the property for over a

month. Before this the building had been unused since at least 2009. The council claims that they wish to develop

the building to use for a different purpose but no concrete plan has actually been published, and in any case it

would not be realistic for any development work to begin until at least after Christmas. Despite this the council

today was awarded a possession order by the County Court to evict the current residents. At court the residents

made two direct appeals, first to the magistrate, then to the council representatives themselves, to stay the

eviction until after Christmas in order for them to have time to find alternative housing, and to celebrate

Christmas together. They were flatly refused, and so the 25 or more residents, including several vulnerable people

with health conditions, now have just two days to either find somewhere else to live, or somehow resist this

attempt to evict them. As a later development, the council applied for,and were granted a high court writ for

immediate action. with the use of the police and high court bailiffs. Squatting is not, as a rule, a lifestyle

choice. It's a matter of survival and staying off the streets.

07531871895