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Gaddafi London home taken over by squatters | Gaddafi London home taken over by squatters |
(40 minutes later) | |
Squatters have taken over a London house thought to belong to Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, police have confirmed. | Squatters have taken over a London house thought to belong to Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, police have confirmed. |
A group calling itself "Topple The Tyrants" occupied the £10.9m house in Hampstead Garden Suburb in north London on Wednesday morning. | |
It said it would remain in place until confident the property's assets would be returned to the Libyan people. | |
The UK government froze assets owned by Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi and his family last week. | The UK government froze assets owned by Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi and his family last week. |
The group's spokesman, Montgomery Jones told the BBC: "Saif Gaddafi and the Gaddafi regime have taken millions of pounds, billions of pounds in fact away from the people of Libya and used residences like this. | |
"We've taken it so that it will be returned to its rightful owners who are the Libyan people." | |
He added: "The police came to look around, then went away. The house isn't occupied at the moment but there are things to sit on." | |
The group said the property was managed by the Gaddafi family through a holding company registered in the British Virgin Islands. | The group said the property was managed by the Gaddafi family through a holding company registered in the British Virgin Islands. |
The squatters unfurled a banner on the roof which read, "Out of Libya Out of London" and "Solidarity". | |
'Solidarity' | |
The group would not say how it got into the property or how many people were inside. | |
In a statement it added: "We didn't trust the British government to properly seize the Gaddafi regime's corrupt assets, so we took matters into our own hands. | In a statement it added: "We didn't trust the British government to properly seize the Gaddafi regime's corrupt assets, so we took matters into our own hands. |
"In the meantime we want to welcome refugees from the conflict in Libya and those fleeing tyranny and oppression across the world. | "In the meantime we want to welcome refugees from the conflict in Libya and those fleeing tyranny and oppression across the world. |
"We stand in solidarity with the Libyan people." | "We stand in solidarity with the Libyan people." |
The eight-bedroom, Georgian-style house with swimming-pool and sauna had recently been put on the market for more than £10.9m. It was withdrawn from sale last month. | |
Describing the house, Mr Jones said: "It looks relatively nondescript from the outside but when you get inside you realise it is full of huge rooms and all the trappings of his status. | |
"It's palatial, it's got five storeys, it is full of marble and glass and other expensive materials. It's got a flat-screen TV in almost every room." | |
A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said it was called to reports of unknown people entering an address in Hampstead Garden Suburb at approximately 1250 GMT. | A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police said it was called to reports of unknown people entering an address in Hampstead Garden Suburb at approximately 1250 GMT. |
"At this time this is being treated as a civil matter. There have been no arrests. Police are monitoring the situation," she said. | "At this time this is being treated as a civil matter. There have been no arrests. Police are monitoring the situation," she said. |
The UK Treasury has not confirmed the value of the Gaddafi family assets that it has frozen, but reports suggest a figure of £1bn. | The UK Treasury has not confirmed the value of the Gaddafi family assets that it has frozen, but reports suggest a figure of £1bn. |