AN EXCLUSIVE London neighbourhood was invaded by an “army” of police officers yesterday who put the area on clampdown, cordoning off streets to press and public so that they could turf out a group of squatters.

Bailiffs stormed the seven-floor former luxury hotel where between 40 and 50 people had staged a fortnight-long occupation.

Housing activist Danny Gardner had just been evicted from the squat when he told the Star: “They broke through windows, doors, everything.”

The occupiers had been served with injunction papers on February 5 but squatters failed to attend the hearing earlier this week.

Mr Gardner added: “We’ve been expecting a big commando to be put together to evict this place because it’s so huge.”

Love Activists and Bohemians 4 Soho housing campaigns had organised a press day at the hotel to draw attention to the huge numbers of houses and hotels standing empty while more and more people are forced to sleep rough.

The overrun building stands on a 1,700 square foot-wide area and was once the Curzon Plaza Hotel accommodating 100 rooms and 31 serviced apartments.

According to Met Police Commander Matthew Bottomsworth occupiers co-operated with the police despite having settled into the space — even “decorating” the interiors.

And the gargantuan police deployment didn’t prevent a peaceful eviction, with occupiers taking their time to remove sleeping bags, heaters and even their pet dogs.

Minor confrontations took place beyond police lines, as those outside the building during the eviction were not allowed to return and retrieve their things.

Supporter John Smith said he had come to visit a friend but left when police barged into the squat.

“Quite a few of my friends who are here are not being allowed to go in there and collect their things,” he said.

“It was just a space where people were sheltering, you know?”

Many of the properties on Mayfair’s Curzon Street are owned by shadowy property developers Greencap Ltd, which evicted the Love Activists from an abandoned bank on Charing Cross Road on Christmas Eve.