Vandal squatters can't be outsted

6:08am Thursday 31st May 2007

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Squatters' rights have left a pastor powerless to stop yobs wrecking his church.

Ebenezer Baptist Church in Richmond Parade, Brighton, has been flooded and a 180-year-old organ ripped apart after squatters returned to the premises just days after police threw them out.

Pastor Tony Bickley said criminals had been dealing drugs at his church and he was powerless to remove them.

He blamed "squatters' rights'" laws for stopping him even entering the building once vagrants had taken over, sleeping in the baptism pit and covering walls with anti-Christian graffiti.

The Argus revealed that police raided the church after reports a man living in the squat had been dealing drugs to children. When officers arrived on Friday morning they found 18 homeless people living in the chapel, drinking sherry and extra strong larger.

Church authorities paid £1000 to have the building boarded up, only for the squatters to break in again hours later.

Mr Bickley said: "This is the ridiculous nature of squatting in Brighton. What can we do?

"They move around the city dealing drugs wherever they land.

"The walls are now almost like a cave painting. They have wrecked the place. It's distressing to think a church that has served the community for 180 years is being treated this way."

Mr Bickley said problems began two weeks ago when a couple broke into the church and refused to leave. Even after it had been locked, squatters were seen breaking in on Friday afternoon. Yesterday, Mr Bickley said water was pouring out of the front door after a toilet cistern was smashed.

The organ pipes had been ripped out and the pastor said much of the floor had been covered in piles of larger cans and rotting food, in parts up to 18in deep.

Mr Bickley said: "It's just wanton destruction. Why is the law behind them?

"It's not that you're letting them stay - you can't get them out. Once they're in I can't even walk into my own church and I can't get them out without a court order.

"Then you end up in a situation where you're having to wait for them to wreck the place until the police can force them to leave. The police have been excellent but the law is holding them back.

"Why haven't these people been arrested for wrecking the place?"

Services at the church moved to the old Providence Chapel in West Hill Road a year ago due to plans to demolish the church and replace it with 49 flats, a new church and community hall.

A planning application is due to be heard before June 26.

Inspector Laurence Taylor said: "The main reason they haven't been arrested for criminal damage is because the building is being knocked down so it's probably not within the public interest to pursue those offences through the courts.

"We have, however, had a lot of reports of drug dealing and antisocial behaviour that we are still investigating."

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