Stolen house in Luton 'highly dangerous' for child residents

Squatters appear to be living in the Luton home that was previously stolen from Reverend Mike Hall

The owner of a house that was sold without him knowing said it was "highly dangerous" that children appeared to be living there as squatters.

Reverend Mike Hall reclaimed legal ownership of his Luton home only to find adults and children had moved in. He feared the gas had not been checked.

A BBC reporter visited the home and spoke to a man who was with a young child and had a bogus rental contract.

The local council and police have raised no safeguarding concerns.

Luton Borough Council said it had been liaising with Bedfordshire Police, which has undertaken welfare visits to the home.

Police have advised Mr Hall returns to the courts to get an Interim Possession Order, which would allow officers to vacate the house.

'Really concerned'

BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme picked up the case in 2021, when Mr Hall discovered the property he bought in 1990 had been sold for £131,000 by someone impersonating him while he was working in Wales.

Following two years of court battles, his name was once again listed as owner of the house on the Land Registry in November.

But on returning to the home, Mr Hall said the property had suffered about £60,000 of damage and squatters had moved in.

Mr Hall said he was "really concerned" for the occupants, which the BBC understands to be two adults and two children.

"If there are children in the property and the gas hasn't been inspected and tested, then they are at risk. I'm led to believe that at least one of them is under the age of seven," he said.

"The house has not been to my knowledge cared for in the last two-and-a-half years in the way that it should have been. Whether the right safety standards have been observed, I don't know.

"It is a highly, highly dangerous situation and no-one seems to be protected," he added.

The rental contract (redacted) was full of bogus information

A BBC reporter visited the house and was let in by a man who showed him the rental agreement.

The man, who was there with a young child, said his landlord was "not the owner" of the house.

At first glance, the contract looks like a typical rental agreement. But You and Yours contacted the agent listed on the document.

While the agent and bank details listed are genuine, they told the BBC they had no knowledge of the letting and did not rent out properties in Luton.

The BBC understands the occupants said they found the home through Facebook Marketplace and stated they were paying rent in cash - despite the contract listing "standing order" bank details.

Luton Borough Council said: "There is no information to suggest the children are at risk of or suffering significant harm and no safeguarding concerns have been raised from a police perspective."

Bedfordshire Police said its officers were "continuing to support" the people living at the the address, as well as Mr Hall.

It said it had "no concerns with the family currently living at the address".