:00:02. > :00:06.Welcome to South East Today, I'm Rob Smith. And I'm Polly Evans.
:00:06. > :00:10.Tonight's top stories. A Kent care home for vulnerable adults is shut
:00:10. > :00:18.down by the Care Quality Commission. We're live with the latest from
:00:19. > :00:23.Tunbridge Wells. Anti-social, undesirable and unfair
:00:23. > :00:30.says a Sussex MP - is it time for squatting to be made a criminal
:00:30. > :00:34.offence? The family of a young man killed outside and Margate
:00:34. > :00:38.nightclub Speaker of the hole that has been left in their lives.
:00:39. > :00:46.only way I can handle the situation is by convincing myself at any
:00:46. > :00:50.moment he will come back. I'm not a number, I am a free man! The number
:00:50. > :00:53.that counts is Seven - where next for Catherham, the Kent sports car
:00:53. > :00:57.company? And true competitive spirit - we meet the woman who's
:00:57. > :01:00.recovered from being kicked in the head by a horse to become one of
:01:00. > :01:10.the country's top dressage riders. We're live at the pre-Olympic
:01:10. > :01:12.
:01:12. > :01:15.equestrian event taking place in Good evening. A care home for
:01:15. > :01:19.vulnerable adults has been forced to close, leaving 13 residents to
:01:19. > :01:22.be rehomed. Four Nevill Park Care Home looked after people with
:01:22. > :01:25.learning disabilities and autism. Despite receiving an adequate
:01:25. > :01:29.rating from the Care Quality Commission in June of last year,
:01:29. > :01:32.the home has been suddenly closed. The owners, Evesleigh (Kent)
:01:32. > :01:41.Limited, runs another 44 homes which are the subject of an
:01:41. > :01:46.independent review. Sarah Smith has been following events. What would
:01:46. > :01:51.we know about why the home was closed? It was Kent County Council
:01:51. > :01:56.which initially was told that there were concerns that this care home.
:01:56. > :02:02.We're not sure if they came from a whistleblower, from a resident or a
:02:02. > :02:05.relative of a resident. Within weeks it was closed down. The
:02:05. > :02:10.concerns were said to be over record-keeping and high staff
:02:10. > :02:15.turnover. 13 adults with autism and what has been described as
:02:15. > :02:21.challenging behaviour lost their homes. John Franklin from Gravesend
:02:21. > :02:25.runs a group to offer support to families. Pick is a well-known fact
:02:25. > :02:30.that people with autism are averse to change, they like routine in
:02:30. > :02:35.their life, and any sudden change such as maybe this case causes them
:02:35. > :02:41.great concern and distress. This is a very unusual thing and very
:02:41. > :02:44.serious for a home to be closed down. What is the process? Other
:02:44. > :02:48.than prosecution it is about the most serious action that can be
:02:48. > :02:52.taken. When Kent County Council was alerted, they would have
:02:52. > :02:57.automatically told the Care Quality Commission, the government
:02:57. > :03:00.regulator for the care services. They carried out some unannounced
:03:00. > :03:05.inspections and decided that the action they were going to take was
:03:05. > :03:09.to keep register it. That is effective because it to close. They
:03:09. > :03:13.did close another home in Herne Bay three weeks ago and that was over
:03:13. > :03:18.allegations of abuse and neglect. They have told us that is not the
:03:18. > :03:21.situation here. The owners of this home and 43 other care homes which
:03:21. > :03:31.have not been affected by this. They have until the end of this
:03:31. > :03:39.
:03:39. > :03:41.month to appeal. It's been described by a Government
:03:41. > :03:44.minister as anti-social, undesirable and unfair. Now Sussex
:03:44. > :03:47.MP Mike Weatherley is campaigning for the Government to make
:03:47. > :03:50.squatting a criminal offence. Ten council properties in Brighton and
:03:51. > :03:54.Hove have been taken over by squatters in the past 18 months.
:03:54. > :04:04.Removing the squatters cost around �30,000 in legal fees. And in one
:04:04. > :04:04.
:04:04. > :04:07.property there was �40,000 worth of damage. High court enforcement
:04:07. > :04:12.officers have evicted nine squatters living in tents in the
:04:12. > :04:16.grounds here. When the bailiffs and police showed up this morning there
:04:16. > :04:21.was no resistance. The council, which owns the site, has not put a
:04:21. > :04:24.figure on the cost of evicting them. But over in Brighton, landlord that
:04:24. > :04:29.this property say it has cost them �8,000 to get their house back
:04:29. > :04:32.after squatters broke in almost three weeks ago. For we were
:04:32. > :04:36.stunned and for a few days it did not sink in that someone could come
:04:36. > :04:42.in and do this and you cannot do anything but once they have come
:04:42. > :04:49.over the threshold, by whatever means, you cannot do anything. It
:04:49. > :04:52.is so painful. Squatting is currently not illegal in England
:04:52. > :04:56.but the government recently announced proposals to change that.
:04:56. > :05:01.At the moment, people can go into a squat, they can be evicted, and
:05:01. > :05:05.nothing will happen to them, they just can move into another squat.
:05:05. > :05:09.Are applied to see a criminal aspect it so that they can be
:05:09. > :05:18.stopped and track and the penalties increased so that we can stop this
:05:18. > :05:22.anti-social act., Sean Jameson is currently squatting in a run-down
:05:22. > :05:25.house in Brighton. The possible change in the law that they are
:05:25. > :05:30.making will mean we have bred little choice than to be on the
:05:30. > :05:34.street or climbing housing benefit. What gives you the right to to
:05:34. > :05:38.barge into somebody else's property? It is a matter of
:05:38. > :05:42.homelessness and being housed. It is not a matter of being entirely
:05:42. > :05:45.fair to everyone concerned. This is the only way they you and your
:05:45. > :05:51.housemates would have to have a home? What about benefits and
:05:51. > :05:55.getting a job? For many of us, it is. What would the public prefer?
:05:55. > :06:02.Would they prefer that we cost millions in housing benefit to be
:06:02. > :06:05.housed in a way that no one could argue about. Jon Hunt is outside
:06:05. > :06:10.the house in Brighton now. It is not the first time it has had
:06:10. > :06:14.squatters. What do the neighbours make of it? The lady living gear
:06:14. > :06:18.says that she would rather have squatters in here than the place
:06:18. > :06:22.stay empty, which it has for some time. Nick he lives in the house
:06:22. > :06:28.next door so they are very friendly, happy people and he has no trouble
:06:28. > :06:32.with them. But not everyone agrees. Sean Jameson himself says he has
:06:32. > :06:37.been evicted from more than 20 homes within the last year alone.
:06:37. > :06:41.He says he only occupied properties that are unused and unoccupied but
:06:41. > :06:50.the government intends to make what he does illegal. They are planning
:06:50. > :06:54.a consultation very soon. We'd like to know what you think.
:06:54. > :07:04.Is it time squatting was made illegal? You can either email us or
:07:04. > :07:15.
:07:15. > :07:18.leave a comment on our Facebook page.
:07:18. > :07:22.Canterbury City Council is proposing spending nearly �18,000
:07:22. > :07:25.on new robes for the Lord Mayor. During official functions, the Lord
:07:25. > :07:28.Mayor takes precedence over every other visiting dignitary except
:07:28. > :07:32.members of the Royal Family. The ceremonial robes are on show around
:07:32. > :07:35.30 times a year. The council has said that rather than paying
:07:35. > :07:43.thousands of pounds to repair the current robes, they want to have
:07:43. > :07:48.them replaced. These Lord mayoral robes are on loan because the old
:07:48. > :07:52.ones are not what they used to be. Over quarter of a century the
:07:52. > :07:56.original set have done the rounds. Graduation ceremonies, operate and
:07:56. > :07:59.those other civic duties. They are still pretty glum must look at from
:07:59. > :08:03.the outside because they are covered in nice gold and black.
:08:03. > :08:10.Underneath it, they are falling to pieces. They have been patched up
:08:10. > :08:19.several times. The cloth underneath is not very nice. We need to do
:08:19. > :08:25.something about it. The roads are kept here at the council office.
:08:25. > :08:31.They could clean and repaired the current ones at a cost of �3,500.
:08:31. > :08:36.Or they could put them on to a new body which would cost around
:08:36. > :08:41.�12,000. And finally, they could replace the robes entirely which
:08:41. > :08:45.would cost around �17,000. In these days of cutbacks I think they
:08:45. > :08:50.should probably get it mended, clean do whatever they can do with
:08:50. > :08:57.it. Can you imagine having an occasion and a gentleman standing
:08:57. > :09:03.there in his seat and chain mail? I think that is a rigid as the main
:09:03. > :09:09.just for a set of garments. Does the council agree. Is it too much?
:09:09. > :09:14.We tried to cut the cost as much as we can. We do get a car free from a
:09:14. > :09:20.local firm to allowed that Lord Mayor to travel to places. We are
:09:20. > :09:25.sponsored a lot. But for the robes, in the end, we have to buy it.
:09:25. > :09:35.man told that the lone robes are far inferior to the original one. A
:09:35. > :09:36.
:09:36. > :09:40.council meeting later this month will decide which is best.
:09:40. > :09:44.A father of two from Kent who faced a bill for more than �11,000 for
:09:44. > :09:48.two children that were not his has hit out at the agency which chased
:09:48. > :09:51.him for the money. Ian Burrowes was asked for back payments for two
:09:51. > :09:55.children in London, but despite telling the Child Support Agency
:09:55. > :10:02.that he didn't even know the mother in question, he was still sent a
:10:02. > :10:05.demand for the money. Ian Palmer reports. Ian Burrowes recalls the
:10:05. > :10:12.moment that the Child Support Agency accused him of fathering two
:10:12. > :10:16.children. This belief, shock and anger. He told the Child Support
:10:16. > :10:21.Agency he has never met the mother, who lived in East London. The Child
:10:21. > :10:25.Support Agency said it dated back to 1993 and demanded he played
:10:25. > :10:30.nearly �12,000 in arrears. He said he had no option but to fight the
:10:30. > :10:35.claim. The first thing was what anybody would do, I said Olga
:10:35. > :10:38.straight to the DNA test and have that test. The Child Support Agency
:10:38. > :10:42.then told me that they do things in certain procedures and I could not
:10:42. > :10:47.do that straight away. He did his own research and on line he pen
:10:47. > :10:52.pictures of the mother and the children. All three were black.
:10:52. > :10:59.explained what I had found. They said, yes, we have seen that. Well,
:10:59. > :11:03.I am as pasty as you can get, with ginger hair,! Okay, now we have our
:11:03. > :11:10.doubts, but as far as we're concerned it's still proceed.
:11:10. > :11:14.Following two months of arguments, the Child Support Agency admitted
:11:14. > :11:24.it had made a mistake. The agency dropped the case. In a statement it
:11:24. > :11:29.
:11:29. > :11:35.The family say they see but a -- feel battered by the ordeal.
:11:35. > :11:38.apology came through which was not enough. Ian Burrowes says he
:11:38. > :11:48.understands that the agency has a job to do but simply questions the
:11:48. > :11:51.
:11:51. > :11:54.way they go about doing it. One person is believed to have died
:11:54. > :11:58.after two light aircraft crashed in mid-air near Shoreham Airport. One
:11:58. > :12:01.plane managed to make it to the runway but the other crashed onto a
:12:01. > :12:04.recreation ground. The fire service and ambulance are at the scene.
:12:04. > :12:07.It's thought no-one on the ground was involved.
:12:07. > :12:10.A verdict of unlawful killing has been returned on a Kent-based
:12:10. > :12:13.soldier, who was the first British casualty of the year in Afghanistan.
:12:13. > :12:15.Private Joseva Vatabua, a Fijian serving with the Argyll and
:12:15. > :12:23.Sutherland Highlanders, based in Canterbury, was killed by an
:12:23. > :12:29.improvised explosive device in Helmand Province, on New Year's Day.
:12:29. > :12:33.The cost of constructing with the White was told at excreta has
:12:33. > :12:37.soared to �2 million. A spokesman for the organisers said de grace
:12:37. > :12:47.was mostly due to construction issues but denied that the plan was
:12:47. > :12:53.
:12:53. > :12:56.close to collapse. While there are 17 brands of cars manufactured in
:12:56. > :13:01.the UK, just three of those are UK- owned companies, now that Caterham
:13:01. > :13:04.has been bought by Lotus. But it comes at a time that UK car
:13:04. > :13:08.manufacturing is having a slight resurgence - last year it was up
:13:08. > :13:18.more than 27% on the year before, when the industry took a dip of
:13:18. > :13:20.
:13:20. > :13:30.nearly 31%. If it looks like a Caterham, and it drives like a
:13:30. > :13:43.
:13:43. > :13:51.Caterham, then it surely is a Made famous in the 1960s when the
:13:51. > :13:55.car featured in the hit TV showed the prisoner, the Caterham is known
:13:55. > :13:59.across the world as a classic British sports car. The company
:13:59. > :14:02.have been making 500 cars a week in their Dartford factory since 1980.
:14:02. > :14:06.But now they've been bought by Team Lotus Enterprise. Better known for
:14:06. > :14:13.their Formula One racing cars. So what now for the 100 staff skilled
:14:13. > :14:17.staff who work here, and the famous Caterham Seven model? We had so
:14:17. > :14:21.much investment available to expand on Lochawe, but the Caterham Seven
:14:21. > :14:25.is quarter what we do. And the skill set is here in this factory
:14:26. > :14:29.as it has been told the last 30 years. For the moment, there is no
:14:29. > :14:34.reason to change. That investment could lead to new models and more
:14:34. > :14:38.factory space. And others are equally confident. We happened to
:14:38. > :14:45.be in the factory as this Kent- based businessman signed a deal to
:14:45. > :14:49.sell the cars in China for the first time. I have built a
:14:49. > :14:54.relationship with the management and the crew to launch Caterham in
:14:54. > :14:59.China. The opportunity for sports car brands that there has grown so
:14:59. > :15:02.quickly. China is a growing market. But Caterham still sell half their
:15:02. > :15:09.output in the UK where conditions are still tough for niche car
:15:09. > :15:14.makers. The car industry is not out of the woods in terms of sales and
:15:14. > :15:18.challenges from the global recession. UK sales are level the
:15:18. > :15:22.share and were boosted last year by the scrappage incentive.
:15:22. > :15:26.perhaps selling a Caterham isn't so hard. Just put a prospective
:15:26. > :15:36.customer behind the wheel and allow them to drive through the garden of
:15:36. > :15:39.
:15:39. > :15:46.England in the sunshine. A care home for vulnerable adults
:15:46. > :15:50.has been forced to shut by the care quality commission. Residence at
:15:50. > :15:55.Four Nevill Park care home have been we hope.
:15:55. > :16:05.Also in the programme, she is back, horse and dreaming of Olympic glory,
:16:05. > :16:05.
:16:06. > :16:10.six years after being seriously injured in I riding accidents. It's
:16:10. > :16:14.an unusual background for a surrealist artist. Russell Scott
:16:14. > :16:16.Skinner, from Farmington in Kent, was born on an RAF base and lived
:16:17. > :16:19.in 12 different countries during his childhood, immersed in a
:16:19. > :16:23.regimented world. But he finally found his niche, letting his
:16:23. > :16:26.imagination run wild as a painter of striking murals, and he'll have
:16:26. > :16:30.his first exhibition at London's Oxo Tower. Today, Chrissie Reidy
:16:30. > :16:40.went to meet him in Sevenoaks as he painted a mural to say thank you to
:16:40. > :16:52.
:16:52. > :16:56.With his mind in freefall he never has any idea what he is about to
:16:56. > :17:02.Paton told this brush hits the campus. I don't have any pre-set
:17:02. > :17:06.image of what it is going to be. Like any more start on the
:17:06. > :17:10.sculpture, he started chipping away at it, whatever came back came out.
:17:10. > :17:14.It is the same on this. You start work on the wall and grow it and I
:17:14. > :17:20.have no idea what the finished picture will be until the end.
:17:20. > :17:25.of the few artists using free association in Sevenoaks today his
:17:25. > :17:31.commission was attracting attention. I think it looks quite good if he
:17:31. > :17:37.has just picked up a paintbrush. looks nice. As best he has only
:17:37. > :17:40.just live there so I have a better outlook. As his work gains
:17:40. > :17:46.recognition in the mainstream, dealers reckon he is one to watch.
:17:46. > :17:50.We have never stopped anything like this. But his very individual, very
:17:50. > :17:56.exciting art work. He paints from the soul, I think and it just seems
:17:56. > :18:00.to flow out. Seven hours later, the fruits of his Labour are available
:18:00. > :18:04.to see. There are some beautiful shapes in there and the perspective
:18:04. > :18:09.is really good. It has a countryside feel to it which is
:18:09. > :18:15.perfect for the area in Sevenoaks. If you want an insight into the
:18:15. > :18:25.work, his initial exhibition gets under way later this month at a
:18:25. > :18:26.
:18:26. > :18:30.The family of a young man killed outside a nightclub in Margate just
:18:30. > :18:33.over a week ago say that coping with their grief is only getting
:18:33. > :18:37.harder as time passes. Speaking from the family home in Folkestone,
:18:37. > :18:41.John Collier has said that the loss of his son has left a huge hole in
:18:41. > :18:48.many lives. Richard had only moved out of his parents' home to live
:18:48. > :18:52.with his girlfriend just over six months ago. His family say he
:18:52. > :18:57.looked at each day as though it was his last and now they are glad he
:18:57. > :19:02.did. Richard Collier was the youngest of four. He used a brother,
:19:02. > :19:07.two sisters and devastated parents. They learnt of his death while on
:19:07. > :19:11.holiday in America. I cannot accept he has gone. I can't come to terms
:19:11. > :19:19.with it and anyway I can handle the situation is by convincing myself
:19:19. > :19:24.that at any moment he will come back and arrive here. I can't
:19:24. > :19:28.really come to terms with it. had recently moved in with his
:19:28. > :19:32.girlfriend. But he would still regularly visit the family home.
:19:32. > :19:36.His siblings say their younger brother was carefree, he never took
:19:36. > :19:42.life too seriously. Just a fun- loving nature and the fun that he
:19:42. > :19:46.brought to the family. Above all, he was very loving. The little
:19:46. > :19:49.things he did when he was a kid, like picking up sales from the
:19:49. > :19:53.ground as he didn't want people to tread on them. Stray cats that we
:19:53. > :19:57.would find on holiday, he would insist on feeding them and leaving
:19:57. > :20:04.notes for the next people in the apartment to do the same. Richard
:20:04. > :20:09.love sport and was a Chelsea fan since childhood. Tributes had been
:20:09. > :20:12.left to mark the spot where Richard was fatally injured. It happened
:20:12. > :20:17.outside this nightclub after a night out with friends here in
:20:18. > :20:22.Margate. He later died in hospital. In 19-year-old man has been charged
:20:22. > :20:27.with manslaughter. Richard Eyre door to his nephews and niece. His
:20:27. > :20:31.family say they will keep his memory alive for their sake. They
:20:31. > :20:41.won't forget him. A dead think anyone will let, and none of us
:20:41. > :20:44.
:20:44. > :20:48.will forget him, you can't. Many sportsmen and women have to
:20:48. > :20:52.struggle with illness and injury on their way to the top. But Hayley
:20:52. > :20:55.Pile from Maidstone has had to overcome more than most. The 20-
:20:55. > :20:59.year-old suffered severe head injuries after being kicked by a
:20:59. > :21:02.horse six years ago, but despite that she is now one of the most
:21:02. > :21:05.promising young dressage riders in the country. Our sports reporter
:21:05. > :21:08.Neil Bell joins us from Greenwich, where some of the world's top
:21:08. > :21:12.riders are competing. This is where the Olympic Games
:21:12. > :21:15.Equestrian events will be staged next summer. This is a test event
:21:15. > :21:19.and today has seen many of the world's best dressage competitors
:21:20. > :21:23.in action. Just over 20 miles from here Hayley Pile has spent the day
:21:23. > :21:26.training, mucking out and riding in the hope that one day she can join
:21:26. > :21:29.them. There is no other sport where the
:21:29. > :21:32.bond between horse and rider is more essential. Dressage requires
:21:32. > :21:36.long hours of practice and patience, every movement is critical, Hayley
:21:36. > :21:39.Pile has dedicated her life to the sport and has made huge strides in
:21:39. > :21:42.recent years. That's impressive enough, but even more remarkable
:21:42. > :21:50.for someone who had to undergo major surgery to rebuild her face
:21:50. > :21:55.after being injured by a horse. just couldn't not do horses and it
:21:55. > :22:00.was a case of get on with it and carry on. Come back stronger and
:22:00. > :22:08.get the good results that we got. Before I could get up and walk
:22:08. > :22:11.around I was already on a horse's and going out. Many people find
:22:11. > :22:16.horses intimidating enough but Hayley has overcome a lot just to
:22:17. > :22:20.be here. It was a very off-putting injury. I'm surprised anybody at
:22:20. > :22:23.there would have anything to do with a horse. Hayley wont be
:22:23. > :22:27.competing at Greenwich next year. Indeed she admits she will be
:22:27. > :22:35.probably be working on the farm. She is, though, determined to go as
:22:35. > :22:38.far as she can in the sport. I set myself a little targets in between
:22:38. > :22:42.such as the up and coming regional championships and national
:22:42. > :22:46.championships. Dressage is one of the most technical sports there is
:22:46. > :22:48.and competitors often take years to find the right horse. Hayley isn't
:22:48. > :22:55.looking for overnight success but her courage and resilience suggest
:22:55. > :22:59.in time she may well achieve it Rebecca Barry reports. Some of the
:22:59. > :23:07.riders today were in their thirties, Forties or Fifties so she has time
:23:07. > :23:10.on her side. Brighton and Hove Albion have smashed their transfer
:23:10. > :23:13.record for the second time this summer with the signing of Craig
:23:13. > :23:16.Mackail Smith. The Peterborough striker will cost the Albion in the
:23:16. > :23:23.region of �2.5 million. The 27- year-old scored 35 goals last
:23:23. > :23:28.season and was the target for a number of clubs. It is exciting for
:23:28. > :23:33.me because they Craig chances. As a striker you want to be emitting a
:23:33. > :23:37.great chances and they are pushing for promotion. Brighton saw off
:23:37. > :23:43.competition from the likes of Leicester City and West Ham. I
:23:43. > :23:53.believe there are more signing still to come.
:23:53. > :23:54.
:23:54. > :23:58.It is a lovely day today. Have we 24 hours more of this weather. They
:23:58. > :24:02.used to call this cherry-picking weather, with light wind and clear
:24:02. > :24:06.skies said that the cherry pickers go climbed a ladder is to get the
:24:06. > :24:09.cherries from the top. I don't think it is going to be cherry-
:24:09. > :24:14.picking whether from Wednesday onwards. From tomorrow evening it
:24:15. > :24:19.turns wet and from Wednesday it is turning windy. For the rest of this
:24:19. > :24:22.evening we have clear skies. There has been some stubborn cloud in
:24:22. > :24:26.parts of Kent and Sussex away from the coast but it is sent to move
:24:26. > :24:33.away Now and overnight we have no use of the pictures that will all
:24:33. > :24:39.that keen. Into tomorrow, we start with clear skies and hang on to
:24:39. > :24:43.them for most of the day. The weather front that we are expecting
:24:43. > :24:49.in the evening slows down so for the majority of the day it will be
:24:49. > :24:53.another sunny, warm and dry 1. Temperatures edging up a little bit
:24:53. > :24:59.higher than today. Through the evening, that is when the rain will
:24:59. > :25:03.be arriving. For most of us arriving around 6:00pm or 7pm. So
:25:04. > :25:09.24 hours from now will be looking for that rain. Because it is a
:25:09. > :25:12.weather front, we are all going to get some. Probably less than half-
:25:12. > :25:15.an-inch but a significant amount. It clears the way forward mistake
:25:15. > :25:20.but there will be left with cooler conditions and a smattering of
:25:20. > :25:26.showers with a bit of sunshine in between. So different conditions on
:25:26. > :25:32.Wednesday. We have a bit of a change over the next few days. But
:25:32. > :25:36.24 hours more of this dry weather. Certainly quite warm as well. The
:25:36. > :25:40.light wind hanging on until we get to Wednesday. Rain from tomorrow
:25:40. > :25:46.evening and then looking like sunshine and showers for the rest
:25:46. > :25:52.of this week. Does that mean it is downhill for the rest of July? No,
:25:53. > :25:56.there is every chance that from Saturday or Sunday, we could have a
:25:56. > :26:06.high pressure and heat building and another heatwave for the rest of
:26:06. > :26:07.
:26:07. > :26:11.July. Saturday, please! We want it There had been new allegations in
:26:11. > :26:15.the News of the World phone hacking scandal. It has been claimed that
:26:15. > :26:21.the murdered schoolgirl Milly down a's phone was out by investigators
:26:21. > :26:24.days after her disappearance. In the south-east a care home for
:26:25. > :26:27.full double that also has been shut by the care quality commission.
:26:27. > :26:31.Residence at Four Nevill Park care home in Tunbridge Wells had been
:26:31. > :26:39.the home. After 10 council properties in
:26:39. > :26:41.Brighton and Hove had been taken over by squatters in the last 18
:26:42. > :26:47.months, an MP is campaigning for the government to make it a
:26:47. > :26:50.criminal offence. We have one e- mail which says it know someone has
:26:50. > :26:54.no use for a property and these it empty and neglected why shouldn't
:26:54. > :26:59.somebody be allowed to move in? This is the old story of a Tory
:26:59. > :27:02.government looking after the rich pals. Another says while everyone
:27:02. > :27:06.would agree there is a home this problem, it has to be addressed
:27:06. > :27:10.legally. Breaking into a family's which could have been left vacant
:27:10. > :27:15.because of the death in the family is wrong and illegal and the law
:27:15. > :27:19.needs to be changed. A cure in Chatham says that he believed that
:27:19. > :27:23.squatting is anti-social behaviour but one needs to ask why council
:27:23. > :27:27.powers are not being used to force empty properties back into use.
:27:27. > :27:34.Another says, why are the properties empty? If there is an