A quiet cul-de-sac has been left as a landfill after construction rubble was dumped by balaclava-wearing dump trucks on a site earmarked for 45 new homes.
North London residents were shocked to see lorries carrying rubbish take to the streets to dump their loads in less than four days.
The site, where a nursing home used to be, must now be cleared by developers. It is expected to cost owners Newlon Housing Trust more than £10,000 to have it emptied.
Local residents on Grove Road and Massey Close in New Southgate reported seeing two men, believed to be in their mid-30s, using bolt cutters to gain access to the site shortly before 6pm on 11 April.
They then saw dozens of trucks a day, all filled with rubbish, arrive and dump their rubbish before driving off again.
Residents of Grove Road and Massey Close in New Southgate were horrified as lorries crammed towering with rubbish drove into the quiet street to dump their cargo in less than four days.
Residents are concerned about the upcoming summer heat, adding that the site is already infested with pests
The illegal dumpers would have left the site for good on Saturday, when two police cars were stationed nearby.
For now, guards with dogs have rushed in 24/7 to stop any further damage.
Several locals reportedly called police when they saw the men appear to be entering the site illegally, but claim they were told by officers they needed video evidence to do anything.
That turned out last week illegal dumpers avoid prosecution at the highest rate in Londonwith only 0.05 percent of the 406,000 reported cases leading to prosecution.
Residents recounted how a caravan was brought onto the site, turning it into a designated campground, with children staying there overnight.
One said she felt “so intimidated” by the situation that she was afraid to leave her house to go to work.
Saeed Jamli, 42, lives in a maisonette overlooking the grounds and first saw the dumpsters arrive in the middle of the night. He said, “Now we think about the garbage and rats and mice. It’s not a good view.’
Courier Hamed Khaki Sanati, 38, added: ‘I don’t know what’s going on, now it’s everywhere. It’s very ugly. It’s not summer yet and you can imagine what will happen soon, just the rats.’
Some residents said they challenged the “cowboys” but were berated, while others said the dumpers posed as builders to lie about what they were doing.
Local residents said voters acted threateningly towards them and camped on the property for four days
A tenant on a nearby block said, “I saw them swap license plates and wear balaclavas. Those guys, fair to God, the rent you pay on this place to live next door.
“Every time I tried to take a picture of their sign, they started with threatening behavior.”
They added that their rent had recently been increased by eight percent.
Another described how the four days of hell began: “Two boys – about 35 – went to the gate and broke it open with bolt cutters. The police arrived within five minutes, but there was nothing they could do.
“They said if you don’t have video, there’s nothing we can do. They parked a caravan and claimed it was a campsite so the police wouldn’t be on their heels.
‘There were about 70 trucks a day and that is conservatively speaking. I once saw twenty trucks in two hours.
“They filled it quickly. They filled the entire room on Friday, smashed the windows and took everything they could with them. They bring waste there at a reduced rate.’
His account was supported by other residents who also saw two police cars parked outside the site on Saturday, April 15, after the alleged illegal dumpers left.
One of the men reportedly returned the same day to retrieve an abandoned Mitsubishi off-road vehicle. The police were still in the area at the time, it is known.
“It was stressful and worrying,” said one. ‘I was afraid it would be a campsite.
“When it happened, it took over my job. I work from home and every day I called the police, landlord and security. Taking pictures was like having a full-time job. I was also worried when I left the house.’
The Metropolitan Police and Newlon Housing Trust have been approached for comment.
