Occupy protesters are bracing themselves to be kicked off Exeter’s Cathedral Green, after complaints of anti-social behaviour and drug abuse from their camp. Louise Vennells speaks to one member who believes they have every right to remain on holy land.

Stephen Bench is steeling himself for a forced eviction. He insists police will have to drag him from his tent on Exeter's Cathedral Green, where he has been camping to raise awareness of corporate greed and unfair politics.

Unlike some of his fellow campers, the 24-year-old history student known to all as "Bench" ("like park bench," he volunteers) is not homeless. He has a perfectly good flat in Plymouth, paid for out of his student loan. He insists his choice to spend the last three months living in a village of 30 tents as part of the Occupy movement is nothing to do with the commuting costs he saves to go to university in Exeter. Instead, he is making his stand against a "broken" economic and political system.

But now, the cathedral chapter has run out of patience. Tolerance has been snapped, it says, by numerous incidents of anti-social behaviour, intimidation, drug abuse and vandalism. Staff say children at the Cathedral School are among those to have their lives disrupted and say there is a "very real issue" of public safety and hygiene around the camp.

Earlier this month, protesters were offered a site on the green to be used to raise awareness of the issues during the day, but it was rejected. Now the cathedral is pressing ahead with legal action.

But Bench still feels that Occupiers have every right to be on the land. "Some people may choose to leave the camp, but they'll have to drag me away," he said. "We know we have a right to be here. We've cobbled together a legal team from our supporters, which includes a legal student, but I don't think we'll win the court case. The system is corrupt. That's one of the reasons we're willing to fight for our rights."

Tensions between the protesters and the cathedral have escalated since the camp began on November 12. The group has become a magnet to homeless people, drawn in by food donated by supporters by a sense of community. Bench acknowledged an opportunistic element, saying: "It's attracting people that aren't necessarily engaging with the cause, but they're representing their right to shelter and by doing so they are protesting in their own way."

The problem is, some have brought with them issues such as alcoholism, which are proving hard for the all-night "tranquility watch" volunteers to police. Some have been asked to leave, but have simply refused.

In December, police were called out more than 20 times, largely to incidents of disorder. In many cases, the Occupiers were the ones who raised the alarm.

Bench says Occupiers want to present a peaceful front, but adds: "We're a no drinking site, but we don't have the authority to search people's tents.

"Our 'tranquility watch' are up through the night asking people to keep quiet, but there are people in society with drinking problems and we are a microcosm of society, so of course we have some too."

Bench says the protesters asked the cathedral for help in dealing with the roots of the problem, which he says are generally caused by homelessness itself. He says they have been handed a leaflet for St Petrock's, a cathedral-linked charity which helps the homeless.

He says it is not enough. "I would challenge the cathedral to come and help us deal with this problem."

Bench says the breakdown in relations with the cathedral is "not for want of trying", but adds: "They are talking about the way the grass looks and the impact on tourism. To me, the issues we are tackling are far greater than that."

The group says it will restore the unsightly brown patches left by tents, but the cathedral now turns lights off at night and has refused permission for a toilet, although the protesters got one anyway.

The cold shoulder from the deanery is just one of a string of problems Occupiers have faced. A Facebook page revealed early allegations of in-fighting and misogyny within the camp, which Bench brushes off. "People write whatever they want on Facebook, but we all get along fine."

But the page has been cited by the deanery for the criticism of the cathedral's work with the homeless, which has further damaged relations.

Other problems show how exposed the group is. In December, a firework was thrown into one of the tents, then in early January storms simply tore the canvas away and destroyed the makeshift kitchen and library. Nobody was seriously injured in either incident.

The Occupation has also seen its high points. For Bench, they include arranging a gig by Billy Bragg, and direct action on Exeter High Street. More is planned today, when protesters will target businesses they believe are guilty of corporate greed. Meanwhile, the camp's Free University welcomes anyone who wants to attend workshops and debates on a range of issues related to the Occupy cause.

Bench returns home every other weekend to appease his girlfriend, who describes herself as an "Occupy widow". He is one of the luckier ones – his student status also means there are plenty of opportunities to shower on campus. Others rely on public leisure centres, and on toilets in department stores for washing and brushing teeth.

When we meet, the group is still repairing storm damage, with help from volunteers, some of whom stayed, swelling the ranks by about ten. We huddle in a chaotic community tent, where mattresses are piled next to shelves of books. Bench is reluctant for it to be photographed, insisting the disarray is temporary.

The cause he is prepared to endure so much for is far-reaching, to say the least. Occupy protesters feel the system is broken – the economy and the way the country is run. They are outraged over bankers' bonuses and the economic squeeze elsewhere. They want a radical overhaul of politics.

"We are living the change we want to see," says Bench at least three times during our interview.

He points to the way Occupy is run, with no leader. Bench is keen to emphasise that his views do not represent the group, such is the sensitivity surrounding consensus.

All decisions emerge from daily general assemblies, open to everyone, where each gets the right to vote, and to communicate by way of hand signals. An X-Factor-style arm cross is a veto of whatever is being discussed, for example. Upwardly-raised "jazz hands" is an agreement. "Everybody has the right to say whatever they want, and we reach an agreement. The X block has only ever been used about twice, and we have worked through it."

Bench believes the country could be run along similar lines – perhaps minus the jazz hands. He would like to see a series of assemblies up and down the land.

He says: "Sometimes consensus is about finding disagreement, but still finding a way forward. The more you talk about things, the closer you get to an outcome and being able to make informed choices. It's fair to say we are a like-minded group, but within this group there are huge differences, but it works for us and across the Occupy movement."

That movement now spans many major towns and cities. Totnes has a camp and so did Plymouth, until it recently shut down, giving way to weekly meetings instead. The hardcore campers have moved to Exeter. The Cathedral Green group feeds back its views through representatives who attend national meetings.

Bench feels the model could be replicated in Government. "In a sense, we are already running the country," he said. "It's about living the change that you want to see. There are already camps right across the country in every major town and city.

"The structure we have could easily be transferred to running the country, but that's down to the people. We aren't exactly the mass of the population right now, and when other people come into it, they might have different solutions. It doesn't really matter how it looks, as long as you have the will of the people.

"To me, it's about getting a genuinely representative democracy. There's an awful lot of anger, particularly about the finance sector and bankers still getting bonuses when Northern Rock was sold at a loss, for example. We have bailed the banks out of a crisis but ended up in a debt crisis ourselves, yet there are still no great strides towards change."

Bench's father works as an engineer technician at a factory in Plymouth, while his mother is a charity fundraising co-ordinator. "I don't come from a particularly poor family. It's a single mum with three kids, but I got to go to university and I've always had somewhere to live. I can't complain," he says.

But he claims to be fighting for both his own rights and those of others – and says he has no intention to leave. He expects to decamp to an alternative site if they do get evicted. "It doesn't matter where we are, as long as we keep going," he says. "We represent an idea, and that has already taken hold in people across Exeter."

But no matter what happens, Bench will ensure he maintains a flat. "I've spoken to a lot of homeless people since I've been part of Occupy, and I would never want to go through what they have to endure. I'd never intentionally become homeless."