We're not going to leave house, say Edmonton squatters
Squatters who have taken over a vacant house in Edmonton have refused to leave, claiming the man who owns the house is a fraud.
Con McDermott has been forced to go to court next month to remove a gang of 20 people, thought to be Romanian, who have taken over his empty property in north London.
The house, which was up for sale, was taken over by the group just over two weeks ago. They have produced an apparently forged tenancy agreement and claim they have every right to be there.
When the Standard approached a couple entering the house this week, they claimed they were visiting relatives and denied the house was being used by squatters.
A woman, who refused to give her name, said her sister had been living in the house with her mother and four children for two weeks. She said: "There was an issue with a man who is not the landlord. The police came and it will go to court.
"My sister is renting the house normally. She has a contract and a key. The police came and looked at the contract and said everything OK." When asked what her sister's name was she replied: "That's a secret."
However, Mr McDermott, who lives in Ireland but is registered at the London property, is insistent he is the rightful owner.
He was first alerted to the gang after his estate agent tried to show a potential buyer round the three-bedroom, semi-detached house, only to discover that people, including women and children, were living in it.
When the home-owner came to see the house for himself he was berated for having turned off the water by a woman who said she wanted to install a washing machine.
He is due to go to court next month in an attempt to evict them.
A friend of Mr McDermott's told the Evening Standard: "They clearly had a set way of doing things. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. They broke into the house round the back by smashing the window. Now they have even changed the locks.
"The house hasn't been on the market long. They were shouting and quite aggressive.
"They were apparently waving this document saying they had paid £3,000 to a landlord named Mr Mohammed."
