Regent's Canal path by Camden Market left untidy for weeks

Robert Starr, who lives in Primrose Hill, said he reported the problem to the Canal and River Trust at the start of last month, but no action appears to have been taken.

He claimed that the formerly scenic Regent's Canal towpath began to look untidy after a group of men started to live and sleep in the area.

Mr Starr added that Britain’s waterway charity had not responded to his complaint, and said it needed to take more responsibility for the “encampment”.

Robert Starr claims the area now smells like urine (Image: Robert Starr)

He said: “It’s terrible. That area is just littered with trash all the time and there’s no waste bins.

“Then this encampment came in and there is three to five people who seem to be sleeping rough there, eating, cooking, and urinating. It smells terribly.”

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Mr Starr wants the trust to remove the men from the area opposite the Pirate Castle, and clean up any rubbish.

A spokesperson for the charity said that homelessness was now more commonplace in London due to the rising cost of living, but claimed that rough sleeping on its towpaths was “not sanctioned by the trust”.

They added: “We understand the problems it can cause for those who use our towpaths.

“Our charity’s policy is to make contact with those who rough sleep and signpost support services as well as liaising with council homelessness outreach teams.”

The Canal and River Trust said it would consider a legal route to remove personal items as a 'last resort' (Image: Robert Starr)

The Canal and River Trust acknowledged there is a formal legal process that would allow it to remove personal items from its land.

But, the charity claimed, this action uses “scare resources” needed to maintain navigation on the canal, and is taken “very much as a last resort”.