BARCLAYS is evicting anti-austerity protesters who hoped to turn an empty former bank into a community centre.

Lawyers acting for the banking giant took the campaigners to court after they invaded the boarded up Preston Circus building and began squatting there.

Barclays Bank PLC was granted a possession order at Brighton County Court on Tuesday and is understood to be serving papers to the group within days.

Although it closed its branch at 1 Preston Road in January, as the leaseholder for the building it is still responsible for its upkeep according to a bank spokesman.

The campaigners led a small protest ahead of the hearing, but initially arrived at the wrong court by accident.

On learning the decision, at around 11.30am, the campaigners immediately led a peaceful, sit-in protest outside the Barclays branch in North Street, Brighton. Attendees claimed the branch temporarily closed its doors on learning of the protest.

A Radical Bank spokeswoman said the group is continuing to squat in the Preston Road building until official eviction papers are served.

Speaking to The Argus she said: "We will take stock of our options and wait until we get the paperwork to decide what we do."

Some of the protesters claimed the hearing saw property rights winning over human rights and more than 700 people signed a petition calling for Barclays to stop taking back possession of the building.

First nicknamed the Bank of Love, the group now call themselves the Radical Bank of Brighton and Hove.

The activists planned the takeover after a protest in the city on June 13.

They said they were spring cleaning to transform the building into a food bank and space for community organisations when they spoke exclusively to The Argus last week.

A Barclays spokesman said: "Barclays is still the leaseholder of the Preston Road building and we started proceedings at Brighton County Court to regain possession.

"As the commercial leaseholder we are responsible for the upkeep of the property including removing squatters. We have plans in place for the future of the property and will announce these soon.

"After the court order is obtained the matter is automatically referred by the county court to the High Court so that enforcement officers can be appointed."

The owner of the building - Frag Elbaccush according to Land Registry documents - is not thought to have any involvement with the proceedings.