Spare a thought for the poor oligarchs and their ugly homes

A property in Belgravia was occupied by protestors, giving us a through-the-keyhole glimpse of how the other half – in this case, the very wealthy Russians in London – live, writes Salma Shah

We should all respect the rule of law, it doesn’t change depending on our strength of feeling in current events (EPA)

In these difficult times with so many in need, it’s hard to focus on every desperate case, but if you can, please spare a thought for our poor oligarchs. This endangered breed is coping with huge amounts of stress with the destructive onslaught in their natural habitats.

In elite enclaves and prime locations all over the world, squatters are moving into large, expensive and empty properties and making outlandish requests, like: “Can we have this empty house for refugees?” It’s shocking to see this breakdown of law and order in Europe.

In London, a property in Belgravia assumed to belong to Oleg Deripaska, an aluminium bigwig, was occupied by protestors who duly hung Ukrainian flags and banners bearing expletives about Putin out the front. This gave us a through-the-keyhole glimpse of how the other half – in this case, the very wealthy Russians in London – live, and it’s not pretty. Literally.