le ▁houses , ▁alle ys ▁and ▁cour ty ards ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁thousands ▁of ▁dest itute ▁people . ▁It ▁was ▁fam ously ▁dep icted ▁by ▁William ▁Hog arth ▁in ▁his ▁ 1 7 5 1 ▁print ▁G in ▁Lane . ▁Central ▁Saint ▁G iles ▁stands ▁on ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁St ▁G iles ▁Court , ▁an ▁office ▁development ▁originally ▁ere cted ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁for ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Supp ly ▁and ▁latter ly ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Def ence ▁( MO D ). ▁It ▁consisted ▁of ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁linked ▁brick ▁blocks ▁of ▁six ▁to ▁eight ▁store ys ▁high , ▁arranged ▁in ▁an ▁S - shape ▁around ▁two ▁inner ▁cour ty ards ▁to ▁which ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁public ▁access . ▁The ▁gr im ▁appearance ▁of ▁St ▁G iles ▁Court ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁area ▁becoming ▁a ▁magnet ▁for ▁prost it utes ▁and ▁the ▁hom eless . ▁The ▁building ▁was ▁owned ▁by ▁Leg al ▁& ▁General ▁but ▁was ▁occupied ▁by ▁the ▁M OD ▁on ▁a ▁le ase ▁that ▁was ▁not ▁due ▁to ▁exp ire ▁until ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁However , ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁century ▁the ▁M OD ▁began ▁undert aking ▁a ▁process ▁of ▁reducing ▁its ▁London ▁estate ▁and ▁dis cont in ued ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁several ▁buildings ▁in ▁the ▁capital , ▁including ▁St ▁G iles ▁Court . ▁It ▁vac ated ▁the ▁building ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁ ▁The ▁island ▁site ▁covers ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁ ▁bounded ▁by