Fury as £41m palace owned by friend of Robert Mugabe now 'death trap drug den'

24 February 2024 , 21:40

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Hamilton Palace may be a 'death trap drug den' which has drug users hitched up at the property (Image: PA)

An abandoned £41million palace owned by a friend of Robert Mugabe has been converted into a "death trap drug den".

Nicholas van Hoogstraten has come under fire for leaving the manor to rot as it finds itself described as the "biggest slum in Britain". Hamilton Palace has fallen into disrepair after it was abandoned by its owner, with residents now claiming the "death trap" property is home to drug taking and anti-social behaviour.

Van Hoogstraten, who recently changed his surname to von Hessen, has been building the property since 1985. Said property is tipped to be bigger than Buckingham Palace, and has since been seen in a dilapidated state, covered in scaffolding. Building materials were also seen dumped around the property in East Sussex.

Locals are now hitting out at van Hoogstraten and the building itself, with worries over those who use the death trap drug den. One local said: "The place is an eyesore and a wreck and it has blighted this area for as along as I can remember. But now it has started attracting youths who break into the estate to consume drugs and alcohol. The buildings look highly dangerous and I think it's only a matter of time before someone is injured or worse on the estate."

Owner Nicholas van Hoogstraten had ties to ex-president Robert Mugabe (Getty Images)

Speaking to the Daily Mail, another added: "The site is not secure. Fencing is always being ripped down and youths get onto the land and head to the house. During the warmer months there are always youths hanging around with bottles of cider and beer smoking marijuana. The place has become a magnet for kids with nothing better to do."

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A third described the unfinished build as a "sore thumb on the landscape" which has left residents appealing to the council for some insight into the future of the build. But van Hoogstraten claims the building is far from derelict and is not "crumbling". He claimed: "The scaffolding only remains as a part of ongoing routine maintenance such a property would require until completion.

"Even the most moronic of peasants would be able to see from the pictures that we have been busy landscaping the grounds of the Palace." Wealden District Council has confirmed there are "concerns" of a dangerous structure, which is under investigation. They said: "Hamilton Palace is not located in a densely populated area.

The property has been under construction for years, much to the annoyance of locals (Martin Burton/SussexLive)

"The closest public right of way is situated to the very east of the estate, divided from the main building on site by several field parcels and blocks of woodland. However, if there are concerns about a dangerous structure, this can be reported to the Council and we will investigate further. With regard to anti-social and or unlawful behaviour, this is a police enforcement matter."

Even van Hoogstraten hit out against claims of homeless activity on the property, saying: "The 'homeless' – the majority of whom are so by their own volition or sheer laziness – are one of the filthiest burdens on the public purse today. The chance of my offering an opportunity for them to occupy Hamilton Palace is just ludicrous."

The property owner has been embroiled in controversy after it was found he and former South African president Robert Mugabe were friends. Hoogstraten had once described the former president as "100 per cent decent and incorruptible" and had also donated £1.78million to a re-election campaign. Mugabe died in September 2019.

Ewan Gleadow