London squatters live like lords

Agence France-Presse

Park Lane, which runs up the side of the city's Hyde Park, is a favorite address for celebrities and businesspeople, but the newest occupants of numbers 94 and 95 are cut from a slightly different cloth.

"Stick," one of the squatters, told AFP that he stumbled upon his new seven-story residence -- complete with penthouse on top -- in November while searching for a place to live with a group of fellow artists.

"The place was empty, man," he said, speaking through the letterbox of number 95 because journalists are refused entry. "The door was open. I just opened it."

Squatting, or occupying an abandoned building, is only illegal in England if it involves breaking and entering or damage to goods.

According to "Stick," the two multi-million pound (euro, dollar) buildings, which boast elaborate wrought iron balconies and airy bow windows, had been empty for around two years because of renovation works. He said there was no central heating and no shower inside, adding that the squatters ask each new resident to bring their own fuel by way of admission ticket.

Another squatter, Andreas, said that conditions were "pretty good, but I've known much better places." The tall Swede, who sported an untidy black beard with a blonde streak, has lived in London for two years and never paid rent. "I always find a place," he said.