London Pub Demolished While Resident Slept Inside Sparks £100,000 Lawsuit

A man is suing his former landlord for £100,000, alleging that demolition work began on an iconic London pub while he was still inside and asleep. Nicola Saia, a former resident of The Cricketers in Kennington, claims that landlord Ravinder Laly repeatedly threatened to collapse the roof before commencing work in July 2023.

Mr. Saia states he was awakened on July 18, 2023, by loud banging, only to find Mr. Laly and builders in his living room with debris falling from a hole in the ceiling. Shortly after, the front gate of the pub, a former music venue that hosted acts like The Pogues and Happy Mondays, was boarded up, leaving Mr. Saia effectively trapped. He alleges his home became unfit for habitation, and he was forced to remain until the council recognized his homelessness and provided temporary accommodation.

He is now suing Mr. Laly and his property company, RSL Slough Ltd, for harassment and unlawful eviction, seeking compensation for the alleged shock, stress, anxiety, and inconvenience. Mr. Saia's barrister, Kevin Brown, informed the Central London County Court that Mr. Laly had sent messages two weeks prior, stating the roof would be removed and demolition would commence. The court heard that on the day of the incident, a hole was made through the roof and ceiling of Mr. Saia's living room, bathroom, and a bedroom.

Mr. Brown further detailed that the water supply was cut off in June 2023 and again from July 25-29, 2023. He also stated that the premises' entrance was barricaded and locked while Mr. Saia was inside on July 18 and July 25, 2023, with the roof demolition occurring on July 18. These actions, Mr. Brown argued, made the property uninhabitable and were intended to force Mr. Saia to leave without a court order. Mr. Saia eventually vacated the property on July 29, 2023, and his legal team claims he has suffered harm and damage to his mental health, remaining traumatized.

Court documents filed by Mr. Saia's barrister assert that his client had a right to quiet enjoyment of his flat. He contended that Mr. Laly had accepted Mr. Saia would not pay rent in exchange for acting as a 'property guardian.' The legal team argued that cutting off utilities and demolishing the roof over his head was done without proper notice or a court order. They stated that permission for demolition does not extend to demolishing a building with an occupant inside.

However, Ben Leb, representing Mr. Laly and RSL Slough Ltd, denies any harassment or unlawful eviction. He disputes that Mr. Saia was a legal tenant, citing the absence of rent payments. Mr. Leb argued that Mr. Saia lacked exclusive possession and therefore had no right to protection from eviction. He stated that Mr. Laly had issued notices for Mr. Saia to vacate on February 21 and June 9, 2023, as the property was slated for demolition. Mr. Leb characterized his clients' actions as having a 'licence' to enter the property and indicated that the defendants are counter-suing Mr. Saia for trespassing.

The Cricketers site, which had hosted notable musicians, had reportedly fallen into decline and was earmarked for demolition by 2023, with the entire structure being leveled in 2024. The case is ongoing.