Police and Oxford City Council officers evicted uninvited guests from an empty five-bedroom council property on May 13.

The house, at 117 Cowley Road, had been taken over by a group of six people a few days earlier.

Officials forced entry at 4pm and told two occupants who were inside at the time to leave.

Steven Fewins, who claimed to be a squatter at the house, complained that his group had not been served with any legal paperwork or given a written notice of eviction.

A council officer simply went to the address in the morning to explain what would happen and returned in the afternoon to carry out the eviction, he said.

Mr Fewins said similar action was taken during an eviction at a council property in Cardigan Street, Jericho, last year.

But council spokesman David Penney said the occupants in Cowley Road were not technically squatters in law because the house was not disused. It had been offered to a family who were due to move in.

Area housing manager Simon Price added: "I explained to the occupants that they didn't have any rights to be at the property and requested that they leave. The two occupants then left and we entered the house with the police." Personal belongings seized during the raid are being held at the council's housing office in Blackbird Leys for collection.