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Squatters move in to Worthing offices
EMPTY offices along a main Worthing street have been occupied by squatters.
Separate groups moved into buildings along Chapel Road on Saturday, October 31, and immediately posted notices on doors and windows asserting their legal squatters' rights to live at the properties.
Offices on the first, second and third floors of 27 Chapel Road, above the Midpoint kebab shop, are being occupied by around five people.
There is also a group in residence above Flude's Carpets.
Crippling
Marlene Gregory, from Bognor, who owns the offices above Midpoint, said the occupation was "financially crippling" her just as she was preparing to sell the property.
"I've got to sell it to pay my mortgage," she said.
"With solicitors' fees and bailiffs, it's going to cost about 3,000."
"There's quite a lot of empty offices in Chapel Road. If we get squatters in all of them, it's not good for the town, businesses or anything, really."
Homeless
Despite her frustration, Marlene said she could understand the squatters moving into the offices.
She said: "They've got no home and they're thinking 'They've got money, we will move in there'.
"If you're homeless and see an empty building, you are going to go in, aren't you?"
Worthing town centre manager Sharon Clarke said it was a symptom of having premises remaining empty.
She said: "Obviously, it's not good and that's the problem when you have got vacant premises. But hopefully the relevant authorities can take the right action to secure the premises."
Nobody from the group staying at 27 Chapel Road was available to comment.
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Weather for Horsham
Tuesday 07 February 2012
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