Squatters evicted in daytime raids on Putney shops

Two groups of squatters were forcibly evicted from high street shops in Putney Thursday afternoon, as bailiffs backed by police removed occupiers from the former Kashmir restaurant on Lacy Road and the shuttered Boilermaker cocktail bar on Putney High Street.

At Kashmir, the eviction was noisy and chaotic. Bailiffs removed the squatters, whose possessions — including tents, clothing, suitcases and a bicycle — were dragged into the alleyway on Olivette Street. By mid-afternoon, at least two large tarpaulin-covered encampments had formed along the pavement, with one man shouting aggressively at passers-by and another pacing barefoot around the clutter.

Photos taken by Putney.News show the volume of material now occupying the alley, including camping gear, bedding, bins, crates, chairs, and boxed-up belongings — all beneath the windows of nearby homes.

Security guards have been deployed outside both properties. A neighbouring business owner to Kashmir has been told that the guards would remain “for at least two days” to prevent any attempt to reoccupy the building. The restaurant is now shuttered with its heavy metal doors down.

Meanwhile, on Putney High Street, The Boilermaker has been hastily boarded up with sheets of plywood, as workers inside begin the grim job of clearing what’s been left behind. When we visited, power was out — deliberately cut by the squatters before they left, according to the owner — forcing workers to operate using torches and battery-powered lights.

The interior, visible through the front entrance before boarding, is strewn with debris: broken furniture, bags of rubbish, scattered kitchenware, parts of bicycles, bedding, and a now-defunct bar area covered in used glasses and abandoned food. Walls are scrawled with marker pen slogans, and one corner of the room is filled with camping items and electrical cables.

The bar’s landlady, visibly upset, said she was “furious” at the length of time it took to remove the squatters and appalled at the damage done. “They’ve stolen things, smashed up the fittings, cut the power — and now the police are telling me I can’t recover any of it,” she said.

“They let them back in because they shouted about their stuff. One minute they’re being removed, and the next the police are just standing there while they go back inside.”

While we were at the scene, a police car arrived and parked the wrong way along the high street after one of the bailiffs reported an attempted break-in at next door The White Lion, where squatters were evicted from last month. Officers conducted a quick sweep but found no one.

There are now reports that the same squatters may have moved into a third shop on the High Street – the former Lost Society bar opposite the train station, which has also been empty for over a year, sparking concern that they are rotating between vulnerable commercial units. “Putney’s got too many empty shops — and this is what happens,” said one local trader. “It’s like whack-a-mole.”

With the former Kashmir now sealed behind heavy shutters and The Boilermaker reinforced with plywood, owners are hoping they can finally begin recovery. But as the mess piles up in Olivette Street and new squats are reported nearby, few believe the problem is solved.