Hove Conservative MP Mike Weatherley has taken his campaign to criminalise squatting to 10 Downing Street.
Mr Weatherley handed in a petition today at the Prime Minister’s official residence in London.
He said: “Squatting is considered to be a civil matter and the police rarely intervene. It is unlawful but not criminal.
“For homeowners, regaining possession of their property from squatters can be both expensive and stressful.
“Typically, it takes a couple of months for eviction to take place. This is totally unfair.
“The level of organisation that squatters now use to target properties is shocking.
“In one example, squatters made a ‘freedom of information’ request to find out which council properties were unoccupied.
“This makes it harder for those on council waiting lists to be housed.
“It’s great to see support like this as my campaign to criminalise squatting gains momentum.
“Ministers at the Ministry of Justice have taken on board the devastation that squatting has on homeowners across the country and a review of the law is imminent.”
The petition was signed by 1,319 people after being organised by Landlord Action, an organisation that specialises in helping landlords with problems.
I thoroughly support Mr. Weatherley’s proposal: the failure to evict squatters promptly has been a scandal for many years.
I urge the Government to introduce the requisite legislation soon.