POLICE Scotland were praised for stopping a 3am 'battery ram' raid on a squat housing environmental activists for COP26 by their southern counterparts.

The Hamish Allen Centre in Tradeston has been renamed ‘Baile Hoose’ and is accommodating people who would have been forced to sleep rough to attend COP26.

It is going to wrap up when COP26 is finished and the building will be returned to Glasgow City Council rather than continuing to be squatted.

Activists were woken at 3am today by the sound of a battery ram being used to attempt to break down a reinforced door.

No warrant had been obtained by cops from the Met and Welsh Heddlu, and it was alleged Liverpool Police had targeted it a few days before.

Police Scotland intervened and allegedly told their southern counterparts to stop.

In a press release, the activists wrote: “The gate crew sent two people to check on the loud noise that was coming from the building and it was quickly apparent that we were under attack.

"There were up to 20 police officers in the building, stood at the windows on all the floors looking down upon the Yard part of the Baile Hoose complex.”

Activists went on to say that the ‘attack’ was made by the Metropolitan Police and the Welsh Heddlu who used a battering ram in an attempt to break down one of the reinforced doors into the yard.

Writing on Twitter they said: "Initially the police at the gate were not interested in the fact that we had been in dialogue with the Scottish police discounting anything that we said preferring to question us about why we were here in our space.

"When Police Scotland arrived they calmed the situation and it was only then that the Met and the Welsh police backed off.

"The police liaison officers arrived and were incredibly shocked at what we had experienced.

"The Met and the Welsh Police had acted totally independently without communicating with the local authorities."

Describing the encounter as "police brutality" typical of the situations squatters and activists faced, the spokesman said the sole intention of the occupation was to provide a "safe home" during the climate conference.

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Their spokesperson said: “Many of the occupants congregated in the yard, whilst others remained in their room too traumatised to respond.

“This is not a unique experience for environmental activists, travellers and squatters.

"We constantly face this level of police brutality where the policy is to act first and ask questions later.

“Baile Hoose has provided a safe home and meals for hundreds of activists this summit and will continue to do so.”

It is understood both police units left the scene when Police Scotland attended.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 3am on Monday, November 8, officers attended at a property on Centre Street, Glasgow, following concerns for the safety and security of those using the building.

“Officers will continue to engage with those currently in the property.”