Aff luent suburb turned into a travellers’ tip ... and police do nothing
THIS was the disgusting scene left by travellers who broke into a derelict hospital to dump tons of old mattresses, timber and building materials against neighbours’ fences.
The group cut through gates to the Victorian building to bring in trucks loaded with waste after unsuspecting people paid them to dispose of it.
Parents in houses backing on to the property banned children from playing in their gardens and said the group set off fireworks nightly for two weeks, making their life hell.
Police were called to Coppetts Wood Hospital in affluent Muswell Hill in north London when the travellers moved a concrete barrier to drive in trucks without number plates. But, incredibly, officers said they were powerless to stop them and made no arrests.
The fly-tippers parked around six caravans and filled the site with waste collected in their trucks.
Sean Hurley, whose house backs on to the site, said tons of rubbish was piling up on the other side of the fence, and he wouldn’t let his seven-year-old brother play in the back garden in case he was injured by anything that fell through.
Mr Hurley, 22, added: ‘We can’t have the kids out in the back garden. We don’t know if there’s rusty nails lying about. They drive trucks with no number plates. They have a big camp fire between the caravans.’
Mr Hurley also feared they had damaged the hospital roof, which he said was lined with asbestos.
One 45-year- old resident, who has a severely autistic son and did not want to be named, said her family were woken up at 2am when the travellers started setting off fireworks.
She added: ‘My son was very upset and went into a full-on meltdown. That has been the last two weeks. They have been keeping people up at night, I have seen them urinating on the walls. It’s been hell, they’re criminals.’ Jamal Belhoj, 29, who lives in a flat overlooking the hospital, said: ‘I couldn’t believe the amount of fireworks. It was like a show.’ Patch Khan, 52, said: ‘They’ve had parties going on in the middle of the night. They’re coming and dumping rubbish, they’re lighting fireworks after 10pm. Some were looking over fences into gardens. It’s been stressful. They’re not small trucks, and they’re full.’ Residents also criticised Catalyst, the housing association that owns the site in Osier Crescent. Travellers stayed for two weeks, leaving on November 9 – the day before they were to be evicted. Yesterday, it was being patrolled by two guards with dogs. But although the travellers have gone, none of the rubbish has been taken away, and many residents claim it has attracted rats. One said: ‘All the neighbours have been trying to get in touch with Catalyst and nobody is getting back to us.’ Catalyst said: ‘ We understand the concern this is causing residents – we are equally frustrated.’ A Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘Police were called to Osier Crescent on the evening of October 27 following reports of a fight. ‘Officers found a group of travellers squatting on private land... who stated they had legally claimed squatter rights. ‘The relevant housing association were contacted. They have sought to deal with the matter through civil legal proceedings. ‘Enforcement of fly-tipping is carried out by local authorities and the police. The Met remains committed to working with local authorities to tackle criminal activity related to fly tipping.’