Removal of Protesters & Activists

Able Investigations provides a legal service in partnership with Specialist Group International to assist property and land owners with recovering possession of their land by removing protestors and activists. Using our team of fully trained, Certificated Enforcement Officers, alongside Specialist Group International’s own professional and experienced team, we can quickly attend sites to begin the eviction process so land recovery and repossession are completed as quickly as possible.

As we understand how activists and protestors can be a significant and costly problem for landlords, landowners and local authorities, we aim to offer a simple eviction service that allows for swift land recovery and minimises the likelihood of protestors and activists returning to occupy the site.

Our experienced team has assisted in the removal of protestors and activists from various sites throughout the UK, including protests against fracking, runways and bypasses and the occupation of office blocks due to be converted to luxury apartments. removal protesters

When discovering that your property or land has been occupied by activists or protestors, it is essential you understand the potential disruption, which includes:

  • Damage to buildings – we have seen walls and ceilings pulled down, roof tiles ripped off, along with copper wiring & metal stripped and sold.
  • Damage to land – such as tunnelling, blockades, encampments
  • An enormous amount of rubbish and human waste being left behind
  • The arrival of other groups for extra support, as has happened on many high of our high-profile cases
  • Negative publicity generated for your organisation and project

If you require assistance in the removal of protestors and activists that have occupied your land, please get in touch with a member of our team by calling 0345 366 0000 or emailing [email protected].

How Able Investigations can assist

Using a Writ of Possession

If you need to remove trespassers from your property of land, you (or your solicitor or agent) can apply for a court order for possession under Part 55 Civil Procedure Rules. This is then transferred to the High Court for enforcement by Mr Frank Whitworth, our High Court Enforcement Officer under a Writ of Possession.

Using Common Law

If it is the only land that is occupied, you also have the option of instructing Able Investigations & Enforcements to remove them under Common Law using our team of Certificated Officers without a court order. Before proceeding, the land must be identified on a Land Registry Map or Local Authority Plan.

Risk Assessment

We always carry out a risk assessment before taking action, especially in the case of protestor removal. It is highly likely that a specialist team will be needed to remove them in instances where they have locked themselves to structures or cemented themselves in. In some cases we may need a professional team of tunnellers, abseilers, tree climbers to assist with the eviction process.

Post Eviction Assistance

Once the protesters have been removed, it is essential to thoroughly secure the site to prevent future occupation and /or disruption. This may include a perimeter wall or fence, security guards, possibly with dogs, CCTV and remote monitoring. Our security team will advise our clients on the best way to secure their site to prevent reoccupation. Our security team are also available to advise on measures you should take to prevent occupation in the first place.

To find out more about our protestors and & activists removal services, please get in touch with a member of our team. You can call us on 0345 366 0000 or email [email protected].

Working in partnership with Specialist Group International, a specialist protestor removal team with 21 years’ experience in the UK.

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How long will it take to remove protestors from my land?

At Able Investigations, we follow certain procedures in order to remove trespassers both legally and efficiently, and it will depend on the chosen method as to how long it will take to remove these protestors.

Common Law

Common Law is often the quickest route when attempting to remove trespassers from your land. The process typically begins with a ‘notice to quit’ to the protestors, which is a notification of the intent to remove them from the land under Common Law. This allows the protestors some time to make alternative arrangements and depart, usually 24 hours or a time deemed suitable by the enforcement officers.

During this time, suitable arrangements are organised in the event that the trespassers do not leave your land within the time schedule such as a larger team of certificated bailiffs or tow trucks to remove vehicles. If this is the case following the set time limit, the enforcement team will act under Common Law and remove protestors from the land using no more force than is necessary. We expect to remove trespassers from your land within 48 hours using this method.

Court Order

Applying for a possession order through the court is another route. By obtaining an order for possession, you can transfer this to the High Court and receive a writ of possession. This process takes longer and is more costly, however, once transferred to the High Court, you can enforce removal of protestors by the writ of possession. This method is longer, however, as soon as a writ of possession is received, our enforcement team can act immediately and remove protestors using reasonable force.

Able Investigations have a vast knowledge and understanding of land repossessions and will be able to assist you in removing protestors quickly and legally. For more information, call our team on 0345 366 0000.