A family of around 20 squatters were moved out of an Ilford home this morning by police after complaints of crime and disturbance.

Safer Neighbourhood officers escorted the family including two children and a baby from the property in Gordon Road.

The two-storey terraced house has been empty since last year and the owner’s son, who didn’t wish to be named, believes the group moved in on November 5.

He said: “They wouldn’t let me in.

“They were verbally aggressive.

“The house was completely empty, now there’s beds in every single room.”

He said he had obtained a court order to move the family out of the house, which is owned by his 85-year-old mother who is in a nursing home.

PC Peter Williams said police were there to prevent a breach of the peace.

He said: “This same family has been in two properties in the Seven Kings ward in the last year.”

The family emptied the property of a large number of possessions, including a fridge, which was piled up on the road’s pavement.

One neighbour, Wilson Chowdhry, believed more than 50 people have been staying there. He said: “We don’t want this happening again.

“I’ve seen people trying to open car doors checking if they are unlocked.

“They leave the front door open at all times and there’s noise pollution from that.

“We want them to know that we are watching them and we will be looking for similar incidents.

“This is particularly a problem across Redbridge.”

A small group of neighbours gathered to see the squatters leave.

One of the squatters shouted at a middle-aged woman who was trying to take photos.

Mr Chowdhry has started a petition calling for the criminalisation of squatting which can be found at www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/squattersblight.