London's Chinese community is battling the proposed redevelopment of a key building in Chinatown, with many fearing it will drive out long-standing businesses and harm the neighbourhood's cultural identity.
Tenants of the Newport Sandringham building have been told by landlord Rosewheel they will have to move out in March, when the majority of their leases expire, in order to make way for the building's GBP50 million ($757.6 million) expansion.
The building is on prime land in Charing Cross Road in the heart of London, and forms the eastern flank of Chinatown, which comprises four short streets in the middle of Soho and the theatre district.
'Everybody's upset. I feel ripped off, you'd feel ripped off too,' said tenant Alex Leung, owner of the Good Harvest Fish and Meat Market.
'Everybody has to move. There's no alternative,' said Mr Leung, who emigrated from Hong Kong 30 years ago and opened his store 20 years ago. He said he will be forced to open up shop somewhere else.
The dispute reflects the harsh economic realities faced by long-time Chinatown hands in light of the British capital's inflated property prices as landlords try to wring more income out of their holdings. But cultural differences have also exacerbated the row, with some in the Chinese community accusing Rosewheel of insensitivity.