Squatters bring Christmas to the Keens' home (From Your Local Guardian)

Squatters bring Christmas to the Keens' home

5:33pm Friday 3rd July 2009

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Christmas has come to MPs Ann and Alan Keen’s Brentford home - after squatters living there were overwhelmed with free gifts.

The group of 10 squatters, who took over the home on Saturday, found a box of Christmas decorations and have set up a tree with lights - with a special Angel Ann and Alan Keen star courtesy of one supporter.

Since moving in the group said they have had 100 per cent support from neighbours, who they claim are "disgusted" by the couple, dubbed Mr and Mrs Expenses, for wasting taxpayers' cash.

Squatter Steph said: “The Christmas decorations were the only things we could find which just goes to show how long this place has been empty. The support has been brilliant and it just keeps getting better and better.”

The three-storey house - the couple's "main home" - has been empty for the past six months while it is being renovated.

Since the story hit the headlines the Hounslow and Brentford Times newsdesk has been inundated with calls from squatter supporters who sent gift parcels of homegrown veg, bottles of wine and Fray Bentos pies - the group now have electricity after putting the bills in their names.

Mr and Mrs Keen said they found the squatters' actions "extremely upsetting" and compared it to being burgled.

A squatter, who would only give his name as Joe, 27, said: "We are overhwhelmed by the support from neighbours and people as from further afar. It just goes to show what we have been saying all along, people are disgusted with the Keens.”

"The support has been brilliant. People drive past and give us the thumbs up or honk their horns. We have had donations from neighbours of tea, coffee and food.

"Now we are looking at turning the place into a community centre or moving a family in who are homeless. The community centre would be somewhere for people to come who live nearby and use. We are in talks to try and get this moving as quickly as possible.”

Duncan Garratt, 45, who lives in South Devon and sent a homegrown vegetable box, said: “What these two MPs have done is shameful and disgusting. If these squatters were living in someone else’s home it would be very different. But they are not. To me they are heroes.

“These squatters obviously don’t have much money so I thought I would go down my allotment and pick them some cucumbers and carrots. All good homegrown stuff.”

Mr and Mrs Keen claim a dispute with builders is forcing them to live at their £750,000 second home on the River Thames and pledged to move back to their constituency home in two months - but the squatters claim the home is fine to live in and think the Keens should have done something worthwhile with the empty pad.

Another squatter, known as Bob, 17, said: "We will not be leaving until we get an apology from them both. We want them to say sorry for letting everyone down, for ignoring these people, who they claim to represent, down.

"I even found a shirt of Alan's with the words 'Home Truth' on the corner.

"They voted for Iraq, they voted for ID cards, and all the time they are living in a plush flat taking saunas while claiming this is their home."

The squatters, who said they were told about the empty pad by neighbours, were interrogated by police on Saturday but as squatting is a civil, not criminal matter, the group are waiting to hear from the Keens.

Since they moved in over the weekend they have unfurled banners outside the house saying "Reclaiming your taxes" and "500,000 homeless, one million empty homes".

A statement, released yesterday on behalf of the couple, said: “We have lived in our house in Brentford for more than 22 years. We own the house and all mortgage payments and building work etc have always been paid by us personally. It is our home and has been very special to us for a long time.

"Alan started work on the Great West Road, Brentford, in 1963 and Ann, as a nurse, has spent a substantial part of her working life at West Middlesex Hospital. Long before Ann was elected to Parliament in 1997, first as a nurse and then as a nurse and prospective parliamentary candidate our door has always been open for people to ask for help.

"We find it extremely upsetting to know that our house is occupied by squatters who appear to believe that they are entitled to do what they wish in our property.

"Anyone who has experienced the feeling of violation on being burgled will understand the distress caused by intruders who refuse to leave. Obviously, we are working to resolve the situation and get our house back as quickly as possible.”

The Keens said they have contacted a solicitor.

A spokesman said the Keens would not be giving any interviews.

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