Squatter Nicola Saia wins damages after landlord demolished The Cricketers venue AROUND him as he slept

Nicola Saia was asleep in his flat inside The Cricketers, a legendary Kennington music venue, when owner Ravinder Laly made good on threats to bring the roof down around him. At 9am on July 18, 2023, Saia was jolted awake by loud banging and found debris falling into his living room through a gap torn in the ceiling. Central London County Court awarded him damages after judge Recorder Tom Shepherd ruled that Laly had harassed him by carrying out repeated threats to demolish the building over his head.

Saia had originally moved into The Cricketers as an authorised property guardian before remaining in the condemned building as a squatter.

The judge dismissed the bulk of Saia's claim — finding he held no legal tenancy and ruling there was no breach of the Protection from Eviction Act — making it only a partial victory.

The Cricketers once hosted The Pogues, Happy Mondays, Desmond Dekker and Fairport Convention; the building was later converted into flats.