CLEAR-UP BEGINS AFTER PROTESTERS MOVE OUT

This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Clear-up begins after protesters move out

The eviction order was made by Judge Alison Hampton who granted possession of the premises above the former Litten Tree pub, in High Street, in the city centre, to leaseholders Safe Computing Ltd.

The future of the Occupy Leicester protest could be decided at a meeting to be held on Monday.

Sandy Scott, managing director of Safe Computing Ltd, applied for the eviction order last Friday saying that the Occupy Leicester group "had no permission to be in the offices".

Occupy Leicester did not oppose the order which said they should be allowed to take their property and vowed they would comply with it.Mr Scott said the protesters left the offices on Christmas Eve within a 24 hour deadline of being served with the court notice to quit.

However, he said: "They left me a note apologising. It said: 'Sorry things got out of hand last night'.

He added: "There are tents, a dozen sleeping bags, toasters, bikes and other possessions which have been left behind. It will have to be tidied up before we can use the offices."

Under the terms of the court order, Safe Computing Ltd, which has now secured the property, must allow members of the group access to reclaim their property.

About 15 members of the group had moved in to the premises via an unlocked door two weeks ago.

Previously they had been camping in tents set up further along High Street but had moved indoors to avoid the cold and had hoped to hold seminars in the building.

Following the hearing, group spokesman Anthony Farrow, 22, an animation and design student at De Montfort University said Occupy Leicester would obey the court order.

But he said the outdoor protest would resume and continue into the New Year.

He added: "We do not apologise for what we did. The building was unlocked and we caused no damage."

The outdoor camp has not re-appeared since the eviction and a meeting is planned at the Clock Tower at 2pm on Monday.

Occupy Leicester supporter Faizah Horreyah posted a message on Facebook saying the meeting would discuss the group's future and "other things". Mr Farrow was unavailable to comment.