Around 40 homeless people have been ordered to stop squatting in an historic building in Mayfair.

The group occupying empty offices at 16 Grosvenor Street in one of the capital’s most upmarket areas had been given time to take legal advice.

But property firm Quintain, which owns the lease to the building, was granted a possession order today at the High Court by Mr Justice Henderson, who ruled the squatters had "no conceivable defence" against eviction.

Squatter spokesman Jed Miller, 23, who is studying law, said group members were expecting bailiffs to evict them from the building later on Wednesday.

Mr Miller said the group included people who were homeless and vulnerable because of physical and mental health problems and might need the services of homeless charities.

He said: "There are also a number squatting for political reasons. There are thousands of empty properties in London which could be used to house the homeless.

"We will move to the next squat, as we have done the other times."

The property was originally part of the Grosvenor Estate and dates back to the 1720s.