Gordon Ramsay’s Pub Has Been Taken Over by Squatters While the Building Is Listed for $16 Million
In a statement to PEOPLE, London's Metropolitan Police said they were made aware of the squatters on April 10
FOX via Getty Images; Ray Tang/Shutterstock
Gordon Ramsay and his York & Albany pubOne of Gordon Ramsay’s London pubs has been taken over by squatters, PEOPLE can confirm.
The celebrity chef’s York & Albany pub in Central London has been occupied by at least six people, who allegedly boarded the windows, according to the BBC. The building where York & Albany was located and rented by Ramsay was listed on the market for £13 million, or about $16 million U.S. dollars, in December.
In a statement to PEOPLE, the Metropolitan Police said they were made aware of the squatters at a “disused property” near London's Regent’s Park on April 10.
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“This is a civil matter and so police did not attend as an emergency call out,” the statement continued.
The police said they will get involved if necessary: “We [are] in the process of identifying if any subsequent offences [sic] have occurred, and will take action where appropriate.”
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As the situation is being handled legally, Ramsay’s team declined to comment on the matter.
According to the U.K.’s official squatter rules, “Simply being on another person’s non-residential property without their permission is not usually a crime."
“The police can take action if squatters commit other crimes when entering or staying in a property,” the government website reads. Such crimes include causing damage when entering and while in the property, using utilities and not leaving when ordered by the court.
Ray Tang/Shutterstock
York & Albany pubRelated: New York Woman Confronts Squatters Occupying Her Late Parents' Home — and She Ends Up in Handcuffs
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The BBC reports that the squatters intend to use the pub as a community art cafe.
The Sun was the first outlet to report on the news, sharing photos of the squatters sleeping on couches inside the establishment. The squatters also put up a legal warning that intended to justify their right to stay there, per the outlet.
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