Latvian travels 1,500miles to squat in Britain because it's an 'easy touch'... and ends up living in a £10m mansion

Published 06th Jan 2011

A Latvian artist who moved to the UK after hearing how easy it was to live here for free ended up in a multi-million mansion.

Jobless Jason Ruddick left the Baltic state after a friend told him squatters' rights were so entrenched in the UK that is was 'almost impossible' to be evicted.

He upped sticks and travelled the 1,500 miles to London and set up home with some friends in a £10million, 10-bed Victorian home in Highgate.

The 21-year-old boasted how he even 'eats for free' because he goes through bins at the nearby Iceland store.

He told the Ham and High newspaper: 'You get lots of things for free here. I knew before I came that people live in squats and have legal protection.

'You even get food for free. We go to Iceland and get all the good food from the rubbish bins. We always have a full fridge.'

Before moving in to the Highgate house - where he is a neighbour to millionaire bankers and celebrities - he set up home in an empty pub called The Bull.

After living there for several months, he went to find somewhere new and just walked down the road to the plush house on Broadlands Road.

Smaller seven-bed homes on the same street sell for £7million, meaning the price tag of the 10-bed mansion would be into double figures.

Mr Ruddick now says he is 'reluctant' to leave Highgate, adding: It's the best place to live.' He said: 'I wanted to live in Highgate - that's why I was looking for properties around here. I really like the area - it's the best area to live in.'

He admitted that in Latvia, squatters were routinely arrested and hauled before the courts, but said the UK was an 'easy touch'.

'It's really expensive to live in such a big house if you have to pay for it,' he added.

'There are three bathrooms with bathtubs and showers, a kitchen with all the cooking facilities, heating - and all the utilities are on.'

Source: ' Daily Mail '

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