HOUSING Rebellion activist Grace Lally said she is “righting a wrong” by exposing the derelict state of government-owned flats which have been left empty for more than 10 years.

The 44-year-old nanny and care worker was among a group of activists threatened with burglary charges after police removed them from the Wellington Mews block of flats in Islington, north London, last Saturday.

The campaigners have been calling for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to hand the 28 three or four-bedroom homes over to the local authority so they can be used as council homes.

Ms Lally, of Hastings, East Sussex, argued there was no social justice in the government department allowing the flats to go into disrepair.

She told the Morning Star: “We were released immediately pending further investigation.

“Names and addresses were taken, we were told that we could be charged with burglary — given it’s a derelict trashed building I think it’s a bit rich but that’s potentially the charges we could be facing.

“It was a protest, clearly not a burglary, but we weren’t given any further options on that.

“I don’t think I’ve committed any criminal offence in any moral way, I don’t feel I have done anything wrong, I feel I have tried to right a wrong.

“The MoJ is not set up to be a landlord, that’s fine — give it to Islington Council. We do think there’s a higher justice to be served.”

The campaigners say the MoJ is attempting to get planning permission so they can sell the land to be redeveloped as luxury private flats. 

An MoJ spokeswoman said:  “An application to turn the site into new housing was turned down by Islington Borough Council in 2021 so we are continuing to look for the best way to use the property.”

Housing Rebellion added it is planning an upcoming protest at City Hall to oppose planning permission for the demolition of social housing in the Lesnes Estate in Thamesmead, south-east London.