flatten a squatter's home.

About two weeks ago Government won a Supreme Court order to evict William Bascome from about two acres of land at Mill Creek.

Yesterday a bailiff served a warrant on Mr. Bascome and the workmen and bulldozers moved in immediately to clear the land, which is to be turned into a park.

"I have lived here for 27 years,'' said Mr. Bascome. "I will live under the stars now.'' The Parks Department has been trying for seven years to clear the land, on Controversy Lane, from squatters to implement its plan to turn the land into a park.

Yesterday Parks Department officials were demolishing Mr. Bascome's wooden shack and clearing his possessions from the land.

Horses, dogs and chickens were also taken away and it was hoped everything could be cleaned out by 4 p.m. as lorries were loaded with rubbish from the site and abandoned cars and trucks were moved.

"I had a court order and I had no legal representation when the court judgement was made, so I defaulted the case,'' added Mr. Bascome, who did not try and stop the eviction.

"This property belonged to my parents, but I could not prove it. I cannot stop the eviction, the court order has been passed,'' he added. "I feel sad, but I'm not going to explode over it.'' Bill Cook, the Parks Department director, said the land was originally part of the Admiralty House park and that in Supreme Court the Attorney General proved that Government owned the title to the land.

"We took Mr. Bascome to court. It took seven years but the court finally agreed.

"When someone is evicted, you have to make sure they have the right to move their property, which is what we have done, then everything will be levelled,'' said Mr. Cook.

He said the department would turn the land into a park, which could be open next summer.

"Mr. Bascome and I are OK. He has another place to live and he knows it is not a personal vendetta,'' said Mr. Cook.

Some other properties on the land, owned by the Smith and Correia families, are unaffected by yesterday's court order. They won title to the property about 16 years ago.