Two men and a woman detained after squat shutdown in Bristol

They are being held following the operation in the city centre

Author: Helen DownPublished 4th Jun 2021
Last updated 6th Jun 2021

Three people have been arrested after police tried to shutdown a squat in Bristol.

Avon & Somerset Police say officers were deployed to the city centre on Friday June 4.

A 40-year-old man is being held on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and escaping lawful custody.

A 26-year-old man has been detained on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker and escaping lawful custody.

A woman is being held on suspicion of affray.

“We took decisive action this morning to apprehend those suspected of criminal activity connected with the unlawful occupation of buildings in Bristol city centre.

“After enforcing the closure order at High Street, we became aware that wanted individuals had relocated to an address on Dean Lane in Bedminster.

“While every effort was made to engage with the suspects and encourage them to come forward voluntarily, it was ultimately necessary to use our powers to enter the property to carry out a further arrest.

“I’d like to stress that this was not an operation to evict the occupants of the building, as we did not hold the necessary powers to do so.

“I hope that today’s events provide further reassurance to the public that criminality of this nature, which has a damaging effect on our communities, will not be tolerated.

“We’d like to extend our thanks to the public for their patience and to apologise for disruption caused by road closures that were necessary to carry out the arrests safety.”

Chief Inspector of Avon & Somerset Police, Rob Cheeseman

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