ANARCHIST squatters have taken over an empty Newport office where they intend to live and run a weekly free vegan cafe.

The South Wales Anarchists announced on their website that they were inspired by this month's week of action during Newport's Nato summit, and described how they have taken control of "an abandoned office block" on Lower Dock Street, with intention of launching "a new social centre and creative space for the Newport community", dubbed the Newport Action Centre.

The Argus went to speak to the squatters, and was told that they were not speaking to the press.

But a poster on the window states that they intend to stay and if "you want to get us out you will have to issue a claim for possession in the County Court or High Court".

The four-storey office is currently listed for rent at £28,000 per year by Newport-based Hutchings Thomas chartered surveyors. The Argus has contacted them for a comment.

In a statement the South Wales Anarchists wrote that the centre, which is directly opposite the passport office, will host workshops, an art space, regular events to raise money for local causes, as well as being a home.

"The building had stood empty for around six months, gathering dust like so many other buildings in Newport while the cost of living continues to rise and forces more and more people towards poverty," they wrote on their website.

"We went under the nose of the local police – whose headquarters stands just some meters away – entering the building without causing any damage or disruption and with the intention of liberating a space in increasingly oppressive, suffocating surroundings."

The group says it intends to allow people to discuss ideas "without fear of being tracked and monitored, be creative without being constrained by social norms, learn outside of a narrowing education system, which fosters competition, and live without being restricted by unnecessary barriers and borders".

They plan to open next Sunday, September 28, for the first weekly cafe day.

"We invite people to help make this space live up to its potential and be a resource for the community to share in the struggle for justice," says the statement.

The Argus was unable to contact Gwent Police for a comment.