Curiously enough, they are citing “worrying trends” which for some reason, fail to include plundering of taxpayer money or the destruction of lives through irresponsible actions by City bankers. What selective memories, but they are bankers after all.

Stuart Fraser, Policy Chairman of the City of London Corporation, said after the meeting: “We paused legal action for two weeks for talks with those in the camp on how to shrink the extent of the tents and to set a departure date – but got nowhere.

“So, sadly, now they have rejected a reasonable offer to let them stay until the New Year, it’s got to be the courts. We’d still like to sort this without court action but from now on we will have to have any talks in parallel with court action – not instead.”

The Corporation claimed it was receiving reports about vulnerable people, cases of late-night drinking and “other worrying trends,”