What to do with squatters
SORTING out the squatter problem is not rocket science.
First, bring squatting under the laws of criminal trespass rather than regard it as a civil dispute which must grind slowly through the courts.
Second, have the police on hand to arrest and prosecute any squatter accused of criminal damage, bail automatically to be refused. Third, put the presumption with the householder and, if neighbours say he or she is normally resident there, the police should enter the property at once.
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It is Alice in Wonderland reasoning that if a man throws a stone at a window he is guilty of criminal damage but that if he enters the house, changes the locks and trashes the place it is a civil matter. Actually the police can already demand entry to any house if they think trespass or breaking and entering has taken place so why don’t they?
Alternatively an army of decent citizens might occupy the house of a chief constable and tell him to proceed through the courts to evict them. Do you think it would be a civil matter then? You can bet your house keys it wouldn’t be, even if the invaders did the washing up.
Decent citizens, however, don’t do that sort of thing. It is the other sort who do and who are protected by the feeblest army of lawenforcers in the civilised world.