Leicester Square’s caricature artists today accused council leaders of driving them out of business.
The artists say they have been warned to steer clear of the square after its £15 million facelift or risk losing their street licences for which they pay £500 a month.
They were forced to move out of Leicester Square to a site outside the National Portrait Gallery when development work began in 2010 but expected to move back this month.
Westminster council says it is still reviewing whether the artists can return amid apparent pressure from business groups to stop them setting up there. A decision on whether they can return is expected in July, but the artists say this will mean they miss out on valuable tourist trade and could even be forced out of business.
One of them said: “We were given a letter saying once the square is complete we would move back but we haven’t seen anything so far. Artists are part of Leicester Square and we should be there right now. We are entertainers and people love to have us around.”
Leicester Square re-opened last week and is now covered in thousands of granite slabs imported from China.
In March Westminster council said the Heart of London Business Alliance, which represents local firms, wanted the artists banned. Robert Davis, the council’s deputy leader, said the square’s artists had been in their current position for 18 months and were “perfectly happy there”.
He said: “We are asking them to be patient for a little bit longer. They are small businesses and we are very supportive of that but we have spent £15 million on Leicester Square and we want to get it right.”
