We all know that the Advisory Service for Squatters (ASS) until recently hosted an internet forum which was used by Housebreakers to advertise ‘handyman’ services for ‘opening up’ (i.e., breaking into) buildings which squatters wanted to use.
That is the standard trick – squatting is itself legal, but unlawful; breaking and entering is not. And using a third party to do the criminal bit for you allows you to cross your fingers and ‘finesse’ the police about your knowing nothing of the illegal part.
Squatting is itself becoming illegal soon for residential properties (about time, too), but when the Occupy LSX crowd entered Roman House yesterday they declared that it was all legal, hunky dory, and safe:
Occupy supporter Bryn Phillips, 28, dismissed the safety concerns, saying: “There was a log book inside the building and it was completely blank for asbestos.
“And we’re only going to be occupying one floor at a time and that would be health and safety checked first.”
The protesters plan to open the building to the public on 23 January, which will be the 100th day since they began the London chapter of a global movement against “corporate greed”.
However they’ve already left, having made a dog’s breakfast of their choice of building, which was in fact a residential project which was already underway, where the developer had agreed to spend £4m on 26 units of affordable housing. Had they done their homework, they would know that it received final planning permission as recently as 23 December 2011, and was in process of asbestos removal.
But there’s a footnote on the subject of legal occupation.
What is this I see before me, nestling in the ample bosom of the published Occupy LSX accounts?
- Occupy Bolt Cutter
It’s £137.00 for a bolt cutter, allocated from the Occupy central budget for the “Direct Action” group, and – as all items must be – approved by the General Assembly.
I wonder what that was used for?
Entering a building illegally, by any chance?
Matt Wardman blogs at The Wardman Wire, on media, politics and technology, in addition to writing at the Raccoon Arms. Follow me on Twitter.
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That should have been shown as ‘Chiropody equipment’.
Some of ‘them’ probably haven’t had their boots off for several months
Good spot!
Those are hell of expensive bolt cutters, this occupy lot obviously have a “bright” future in front of them in Governemnt – they’re already spending other peoples money badly.
A google shopping search for bolt cutters only finds 6 that cost that much or more.
£137 for bolt cutters?
Someone saw them coming.
No wonder they can’t afford to buy their own property.
Not very smart, are they!
The probably went to bog standard comps.
But if you need to cut up to half-inch diameter hardened alloy steel, eg the shackle on a padlock , ideally the top CEN Grade 6, (a closed shackle goes without saying) then you have to invest in the best kit. Because even the best-organised squatting activist can lose the keys to his property
Irwin Record Centre Cut High Tensile Bolt Cutters, 24″ long, 5/16″ capacity – £134.99 inc. Vat.
Ditto, 42″ long, 1/2″ capacity, £301.99 inc, Vat.
Source: Toolbank.com
You can get many ‘bolt cutters’ for mild steel bolts, low-tensile reinforcing rods and fencing wire, but to cut high-tensile security chain or padlock hasps, you need the better tool – at the higher price.
My eye has been taken by the £100 for a ‘person powered bike’! A career in politics definitely awaits.
As it happens, the bloke next door has one of those, so I can.
Lefties……can’t live with ‘em….can’t run over them with a vintage steam-roller
Well, if they’re planning to chain themselves to railings, they need to be able to unchain themselves when it gets dark so they can go home to sleep, before returning in the morning.
Idealistic Simplistic Parasitic Middle Class Marxists
I really fucking hate them.
So much thought but so little sense.
What’s the £150 laid to ‘direct action’..?
Oxy welding equipment, cut bars for the repairing of?
Or perhaps a handyman to deniably wield the bolt cutter
Sushi from M&S – with MSC certification and approved by Hugh Fearnley Whithehellishisnameagain
DNA tests for undercover Old Bill?
FYI – You dont need to break into St Alphages, there was (probably still is) an open window on the ground floor with a hose pipe going into it from some drainage thing. This window is easy to climb through – I know, I did it a few months ago.
Bolt cutters are usually used in DA when you need to get through a fence or gate.
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