Squatters evicted from a charity-owned house yesterday left behind thousands of pounds of damage.
Graffiti and debris soiled the interior of the Victorian property, which once would have been a grand five-bedroom town house.
And there was evidence to suggest all of the five bedsits in the property - owned by Brunel Housing - had been occupied for several months.
But when police and bailiffs stormed its rooms only one man - believed to be from Lithuania - was found in the property.
The eviction took place after Brunel Housing secured a warrant for eviction.
Nadhia Hussain, area manager for the charity, said the weeks of legal proceedings had totted up costs of £1,300.
But she said the cost of repairing the damage would be eaten up in £100,000 of repair work, which had already been scheduled to take place as part of an £18 million investment planned by the organisation.
"Because we are doing it up anyway it will just get chewed up in the costs, but otherwise it would cost a substantial amount to clean it up - thousands," she said.
The house will be converted from a five bed-sit property to a family home.
And with the property now empty, Miss Hussain said there would be no delay in getting the project started.
"We will be starting work shortly, there is a high demand for quality homes in the area," she said.
But the first move by Brunel was to secure the house and install an alarm which will sound in the housing offices if an intruder enters.
And Miss Hussain said the men and women had been offered the chance to sign up to the Brunel Housing waiting list.
"We have said to them we would consider applications from them, but obviously that does not suit their way of life," she said.
As previously reported in the Telegraph & Argus, squatters are also living in a property opposite the evicted house. Both properties are in Marlborough Road, Manningham, Bradford.
Last week police were called and an arrest was made after a female member of Brunel staff was allegedly assaulted.
Now Brunel is still waiting for a warrant to evict the second group. Miss Hussain said she hoped an umbrella warrant would soon be issued to prevent squatters moving into any Brunel-owned property.
e-mail: rebecca.wright @bradford.newsquest.co.uk
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