An encampment on Park Lane in central London

A reported 40 homeless people were sleeping in the area that has since been become known as a 'tent city'. The land by Hyde Park and Marble Arch Underground station is owned by Transport for London (TfL).

TfL cleared the tents on October 22. A spokesperson said a number of people had accepted offers of support or moved from the site. Earlier this year, images of the tents were shared online.

and spoke to some of the people who were staying there. Local businesses also asked why Westminster City Council or TfL had not acted to deal with the problem.

A spokesperson said at the time: "We have been granted a possession order for the encampment on Park Lane following a hearing at the Central London County Court.

"In parallel, and if required, we are now ready to follow the next stages of the legal process towards gaining possession of the site in consultation with our partner agencies."

A TfL spokesperson said: "No one should be faced with sleeping rough on London's streets. Park Lane is a busy part of the road network that is not a safe place for people to sleep rough and our focus is on the safety and welfare of everyone involved.

"We applied for a possession order on August 21 and wanted to allow sufficient time for outreach support to take place and to encourage rough sleepers to accept offers of support available to them. While a number of people have since accepted offers of support or have moved from the location, a large encampment remained - so we have taken the decision to take action to gain possession of the site.

"Enforcement has always been our last resort and we are working closely with our partner agencies to ensure the safety and welfare of everyone involved."

Cllr Paul Swaddle, Leader of the Conservative opposition in Westminster City Council, said: "Seeing the tents cleared today will have finally brought some relief for local residents, but it should never have taken eight-plus months to clear.

"Westminster Council and TfL need to be more proactive in the future. Perhaps they can now turn their attention to the other tent encampments across the city."