Growth of young jobless fuels boom in squatting

The number of property owners forced to take legal action to evict squatters has gone up by more than half, it was revealed today.

New figures show that possession orders going through London courts have soared by 58 per cent between 2006 and last year.

Legal services firm Sweet & Maxwell, which conducted the research, put the increase down to the rising cost of renting a home in London, and the level of graduate and youth unemployment, swollen by the recession.

It also said the growing number of vacant properties in central London was a significant factor.

A total of 112 possession orders were issued in the capital in 2006, rising to 177 last year.

The new research also suggests that squatting is most prevalent in central neighbourhoods, with hot spots including Mayfair and the West End.

Figures from Clerkenwell and Shoreditch county courts show that these areas accounted for 43 per cent of the total number of possession orders issued in the capital last year, in contrast to Bromley, which accounted for only three per cent.

Prime Minister David Cameron has announced proposals to combat the problem which would remove squatters' right to legal aid.

Although a homeowner whose house has been taken over can ask police for help in removing the squatters, the law currently only allows them to be prosecuted if they cause criminal
damage.