From The Evening Standard:
Mobile phone shop managers Tom Logan and Nikki Hollis have given their backing to campaigners trying to stop Hampstead being taken over by celebrities.
They joined a demonstration outside the former Spice Girl Mel C's £5 million mansion in the exclusive suburb, which dozens of celebrities have made their home. Residents say the number of celebrities has turned Hampstead into a "bland Identikit town".
They have called on local estate agents to do more to engage with the community after accusing them of showing "indifference" to the needs of people born locally.
Logan, 38, who lives in the area but was born in Lancashire, was among a group of Hampstead residents waving placards and chanting outside the Foxtons branch. He tweeted: “Go! Hampstead residents, today protesting against yet another ex-pop star or retired actor buying another house in the area. Come on estate agents! It’s all kicking off down here!”
Phones4U manager Hollis, 40 and originally from Scotland, who is planning to go and see the new Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises when it comes out, said: “The problem is that if all the houses are bought up by broadcasters and reality TV stars, local people can’t survive because the houses cost so much.”
An online petition calling for a rethink by estate agents Foxtons, which sells properties to authors and musicians, has attracted 300 signatures.
Employment solicitor Jessica Learmond-Criqui, who is leading the campaign, challenged Foxtons last year over the closure of Hampstead Fish & Chip Shop, whose core customers had been driven away from the area by health food nibbling actresses.
A spokesman for Foxtons said its head of sales would meet campaign members to address their concerns. But he added that the company’s primary duty was to vendors, who included “many thousands of Britons who had built up property assets over their lifetime and who needed the proceeds to fund their retirement”.
