PEOPLE confirmed on April 15 that Gordon Ramsay’s London pub had been taken over by squatters
Squatters occupying one of Gordon Ramsay’s London pubs have vacated the property, one week after police were made aware of their activity.
The Camden Art Cafe, an “autonomous cafe” who had identified themselves as the occupants of the celebrity chef’s York & Albany pub, shared the news in an Instagram post.
“We are sad to announce Camden art collective have left the building after being served papers yesterday,” the post read. “We wish those left in the building the best of luck in their endeavours. We hope to be a part of the community again soon, watch this space!!”
The account did not specify who is left in the building, and London’s Metropolitan Police could not immediately be reached by PEOPLE for comment.
On April 13, BBC reported that the Central London pub had been occupied by at least six people, who allegedly boarded the windows. PEOPLE confirmed on April 15 that Ramsay’s pub had been occupied by squatters.
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.
The Camden Art Cafe spoke about the price when they shared an official statement on April 15 about occupying the building.
“We aim to open our doors regularly to anyone and everyone, particularly the people of Camden who have been victims of gentrification and parasitic projects like HS2,” the statement said, adding that they will provide free food and “space to display their art without the ridiculous red-tape that galleries require people to jump over.”
The post continued, talking about how the wealth disparities in Camden made it “fitting that £13 million properties that most locals would never be able to afford to visit should be opened up to all.”
On April 15, the Metropolitan Police told PEOPLE that they were made aware of the squatters at a “disused property” near London’s Regent’s Park on April 10.
“This is a civil matter and so police did not attend as an emergency call out,” the statement continued.
In the statement, the police said they would get involved if necessary: “We [are] in the process of identifying if any subsequent offences [sic] have occurred, and will take action where appropriate.”
Ramsay’s team declined to comment on the situation since it is being handled legally.
According to the U.K.’s official squatter rules on the government website, “Simply being on another person’s non-residential property without their permission is not usually a crime.”
But the website lists vandalization, not leaving when ordered by the court and using utilities as crimes that would permit police involvement.