Owner of Gordon Ramsay-leased pub denies making deal with squatters

Film director Gary Love bought the freehold of the premises in 2007.

Boarded up windows at the York & Albany pub (Samuel Montgomery/PA) (PA Wire)

The owner of a Gordon Ramsay pub has denied claims by squatters that a deal has been made for them to stay there.

The group shut themselves in the York & Albany near Regent’s Park, north London, last week, and vowed to remain inside the building on Saturday, claiming to have reached an agreement with the building’s owner.

Film director Gary Love bought the freehold of the premises in 2007, before leasing the pub to Mr Ramsay on a 25-year term for an annual rent of £640,000.

In a statement on Saturday, Mr Love said: “For clarification neither I nor anyone from my team have had any contact with the occupiers/squatters of the building or anyone that represents them.”

Lawyers for Gordon Ramsay Holdings International Limited (GRHI) secured a High Court order for the possession of the premises on Thursday, which had appeared to pave the way for enforcement officers to retake the Grade II listed building.

On Saturday, High Court orders taped to the doors of the premises had been torn down and a squatter said the group would be staying put.

“We’ve made a deal,” he told the PA news agency, adding: “With the owner, not Ramsay.”

He said: “We’re still here, and we’re going to carry on staying here. We’re going to be security for him.”

The former pub and hotel building is on the market for £13 million, after a protracted legal battle between Hell’s Kitchen presenter Mr Ramsay and Mr Love.

The celebrity chef attempted to free himself from the lease in 2015 but was unsuccessful in the High Court.

Banners which had been draped from the balcony, reading “whatever they say, squatters will stay” and “squat the lot”, were removed by the occupants on Saturday.

Some of the squatters left on Friday and it is unclear how many remain inside.

The squatter group ran a cafe out of the building last week, handing out free food and drink to “the people of Camden who have been victims of gentrification and parasitic projects like HS2″.

PA has attempted to contact Mr Ramsay for comment.