West End Extra - Letters: Home truths

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West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 17 August 2007

Home truths about squat

• YOUR article “Squatters warned to stop relieving themselves in street” (August 10) is typical of the sort of biased journalism which we in the homeless community have come to expect of the West End Extra.
If you had checked any of the facts you would have discovered the following:
1. There are not 24 people occupying this squat; the number is approximately eight.
2. The squat has been occupied for six weeks, not nine months.
3. The water supply was not turned off last week and has not been on since the building has been occupied; the occupiers bring their own water in.
4. At no time has any of the occupiers urinated out of any window onto the street.
5. There are no occupiers who go to work in snappy suits with briefcases. The only people who have been in the building in such attire were representatives from Barratt Homes to check on the occupants.
6. The assertion by Jacqui Capri that the people occupying the building are “nasty squatters” is a bit rich since she has had no contact with them. Perception
is everything, eh?
7. Barratt Homes saying they hoped to have the new development ready for next year is frankly absurd as no works or planning notice has being published or posted, and this building just represents more land banking by big property developers.
The big question, if any, that comes out of your article is why has Westminster Council allowed this building to be unoccupied for such a long period of time when there are people homeless on the streets of London?
NAME SUPPLIED
No fixed abode

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, West End Extra, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@westendextra.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number.
Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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