Transport for London (TfL) has spent more than £113,000 in just three months on private security to prevent rough sleepers from returning to Park Lane, one of the capital’s most

affluent areas.

The transport authority confirmed it had paid £113,365 between July and September to a security contractor—understood to be MEC Security—tasked with monitoring the central reservation of Park Lane. The move follows the removal of a large encampment earlier this year.

A TfL spokesperson said people sleeping rough were informed they would be moved on, with Westminster City Council’s outreach teams offering support to those affected.

Conservative councillor Tim Barnes, who represents the West End ward, described the cost as “sad” but said it was necessary to prevent the “disastrous impact” caused by previous encampments.

While Park Lane sits in one of London’s most exclusive postcodes, the stretch of land where the encampments formed falls under TfL’s management rather than the council’s. Rough sleeping along the road has been a persistent issue for more than a decade.

Earlier this year, Westminster Council obtained a court order to clear an encampment opposite the Hilton hotel near Hyde Park Corner. Nearby businesses had raised concerns about rough sleepers approaching customers, with one restaurateur saying the situation was “not good for the area”.

TfL said security staff were being used to patrol the site and discourage people from returning. It has not disclosed how long the security presence will remain in place but said future plans would depend on the ongoing situation.

Westminster Council, which has the highest number of rough sleepers in the country, welcomed additional government funding to tackle homelessness.

Councillor Barnes urged both the Mayor of London and the council to “get their act together” to reduce the number of people sleeping rough in the borough. Photo by Richard Kelly, Wikimedia commons.