POLICE, councillors and a local landowner are joining forces to ensure that an illegal site dubbed Tent City does not reappear alongside the River Thames towpath in Oxford.

In July, homeless people camping in a field next to the towpath at Osney were forced to pack their bags when council staff and police arrived to evict them.

The number of tents had grown to 15, prompting residents to complain about the campers' "intimidating" presence.

The eviction took place after a judge at Oxford County Court ordered that everyone living on the private farmland should be evicted.

Now, a single tent has been erected at the same site, prompting fears that homeless people could be encouraged to gather there.

We visited the site and found drugs paraphernalia including a syringe near the tent.

PC Paul Phillips, of Thames Valley Police, who co-ordinated the eviction in July, said: "We know there is one tent down there which appears to have been burnt out.

"We are currently working with the landowner to address the situation because we certainly do not want a recurrence of the trouble we had in the summer.

"The camp site was allowed to grow, and remained there for far too long before it was dealt with and we are in a better position this time because we got in touch with the landowner straight away.

"The weather has also been working in our favour because the land there is flooded and is not really suitable for camping."

Tenant farmer Nicholas Frearson confirmed that police had contacted him about the tent but declined to comment further.

Dennis Price, 57, otherwise known as Snowy, was the self-appointed leader of the group camping at Osney.

Susanna Pressel, Labour city councillor for Jericho and Osney, said she believed that Mr Price started camping near Tumbling Bay bathing place off Botley Park after he left the farmer's field at Osney.

He then moved on after a farmer put cows into the field.

Ms Pressel added: "Council staff who work with the homeless tried to persuade him to go into a hostel but he refused although he has stayed in the Nightshelter on a number of occasions.

"Outreach teams do as much as they can to help the homeless but some of them refuse to be helped and it would be lovely if someone like Snowy could get a job so that he could start paying some rent."