Camped on what was once a quiet playing field enjoyed by dog-walkers, this convoy of about 50 caravans has taken over and shows no sign of leaving.

The squatters drove onto the privately-owned Stanford Road playing field at the beginning of April after reportedly cutting padlocks to break into the field via Woodmansterne Primary School.

The derelict playing field, formerly owned by Natwest but now believed to be owned by a Christian church, is in Turle Road, on the border of Mitcham and Norbury.

It is overlooked by Woodmansterne Primary School and Stanford Primary School. 

Frustrated residents who say they do not want to look at a "dump site" are calling on police to evict the travellers.

David Cole, who lives nearby, said: "The travellers are now fly-tipping on this field daily, with vans and trucks arriving regularly to offload rubbish.

"The site will look like a landfill soon, and the rubbish will be blowing over neighbouring schools fields."

Your Local Guardian:

Dump: rubbish has been piling up around the illegal camp 

A 38-year-old woman, who lives nearby and does not want to be named, said: "They have tried to gain access before last year but they have been stopped or the police have removed them quickly.

"But this time they have got in quite sneakily overnight and whenever police turn up they barricade themselves in by parking a van across the entrance."

She added: "I've never seen anything like it before. They call themselves squatters and say they have got squatters rights."

If there are six caravans or more on a site, police have the power to evict the camp straight away under section 61 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act.

But a Met Police spokesman said no action has yet been taken to evict the squatters.

He said: "We are aware of caravans in the Stanford Road area. There is nothing to report from our side as things stand."

He added:"It won't be able to go on in perpetuity...unless there is a proven right to be there, which clearly there isn't, so watch this space."

It has been reported locally that police have said they did not have the manpower to evict the travellers in recent weeks, as extra resources were needed for the General Election and the birth of Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.

Your Local Guardian:

Litter strewn across fields next to the camp 

Merton only has one authorised caravan site near Weir Road, with space for 15 caravans.

A Merton Council spokeswoman said the council has no power to evict the travellers, as they are on private land.

However the council is supporting the police, residents and neighbouring primary schools in dealing with reported fly-tipping.

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