Retractable bollards have been installed in a park in Kingston after travellers illegally set up base there last week.

The illegal encampment first occurred in Manor Park in the early hours of Wednesday, 8 July, and the council and police were immediately informed.

In a post on Facebook on Monday (13 July), Cllr Mike Massimi said: "I wanted to provide residents with an update on the recent illegal encampment at Manor Park.

"For obvious legal reasons, we were not able to provide ongoing public commentary while the necessary legal process was taking place and while action was being taken to resolve the situation.

"However, I appreciate residents' concerns and wanted to share where things currently stand.

"We were made aware last week that a number of vehicles had entered the park, forcing access via Malden Road using pedestrian pathways.

"From the moment this was reported, Council officers, the Metropolitan Police and ward councillors acted immediately, especially Cllr Elizabeth Park and Cllr Wilmalathasan.

"This included checks on the day, a dedicated Metropolitan Police welfare visit the following day, increased patrols and discrete monitoring while the appropriate legal steps were progressed.

"The encampment was issued with a notice to leave, followed by a court order, which was secured and communicated extremely quickly before the weekend.

"The park was vacated on Sunday, and the Glendale team were on site earlier today carrying out the necessary clearing and cleaning works."

He continued: "Following this incident, retractable bollards have now been installed at the identified weak access point to help prevent similar unauthorised access in the future.

"The main car park entrance fencing is also being reviewed, with further inspections and any required works taking place this week.

"Callum Sol Morrissey and I would like to thank residents for their patience and, importantly, for not engaging with any unofficial cash-in-hand work requests that could have resulted in additional fly-tipping or waste issues. That community awareness and support makes a real difference.

"We also want to thank our Council officers, the Metropolitan Police, Glendale, Friends of Manor Park, and everyone in the local community who helped monitor the situation and supported the response.

"Anyone who has dealt with illegal encampments before will know that enforcement action can often take weeks. The fact that this was resolved so quickly was down to the close cooperation between all of us.

"We will continue to monitor Manor Park and take further action where needed to protect this important community space."

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