Squatters have moved into an ex-Michelin-starred restaurant and club once frequented by the likes of Pippa Middleton and Lindsay Lohan.
The Grade II listed building at 28 Berkeley Square in Mayfair was originally the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s private home the 1820s.
It became Morton’s private members’ club and hosted A-lister events for celebrities and socialites.
Middleton, the Princess of Wales’s sister, was a regular visitor and model Jodie Kidd was pictured there in the past.
During the pandemic, the exclusive venue went into administration and it is now a derelict squat used by cannabis-smoking inhabitants.
A security guard at a neighbouring business told Metro: “It’s been a nightmare.
“There were squatters actually in the building but now they were forced to leave.
“But what they are doing now is using the basement area as their refuge. There are piles of stuff down there it’s becoming like a slum. It’s a magnet for anti-social behaviour.
“There are people smoking weed and the place is an eyesore. The police came recently but said there was nothing they could do. When the club was there it was very high end but now it’s just bringing down the square.”
One of the people living there said: “I have nowhere else. What can I do?”
Next door is the world-famous Phillips auction house, which is currently putting the works of Damien Hirst under the hammer.
Police have been called to the four-storey property in the past month, but were unable to act as the squatters were not inside the building when they arrived.
Removing them from non-residential buildings is more challenging for officials as it often requires a civil court order.
Last year, a group of squatters moved in to Gordon Ramsay’s York and Albany pub near Regent’s Park before they were forced to leave by a court order.
A raid was also conducted on Marco Pierre White's former steak and pizza restaurant to remove a group last year.
Courts also ordered uninvited occupants who were living inside Princess Diana's former favourite restaurant, San Lorenzo, to vacate the premises.
RSM UK, administrators for Morton’s, said they sold the lease in August 2021. CF Commercial is currently marketing it as a business premises.
Westminster City Council told Metro: “Our city inspectors visited the site last night.
“They found no evidence of people sleeping rough in the basement but there are a number of items belonging to rough sleepers being stored there.
“This is ultimately a matter for the landlord to secure the property and the council will notify them urgently about the issue.”
