The clamped car in Chalton Street [Simon Lamrock]

A CAR left to rot for six months outside an Indian restaurant near Euston has become a round-the-clock drug den, according to furious residents and traders.

They say the abandoned vehicle in Chalton Street is now a makeshift home, with smoke pouring from the windows as two people inside the car drink and take drugs in broad daylight. The vehicle, which has been clamped and ticketed, remains in place despite repeated complaints to Camden Council.

The car has also become a magnet for antisocial behaviour.

Prashant Patel, who owns the Yatri Indian restaurant where the Mini Cooper has been parked directly outside, said the situation has become unbearable. He said a middle-aged man and woman live in the car full-time, with others coming and going.

“There can be four people,” he said. “They do drugs openly in the day time.”

“It’s been here for more than six months. It had the removal order, it has been served tickets, it has the wheel locked on it by the DVLA. I have reported it to the council three times.” Mr Patel said community wardens once opened the car and found drug paraphernalia inside.”

Chalton Street this week [Simon Lamrock]

“There were junkies living in it,” he added. “They come and go, they basically use it to slip in and use substances. If you open up the car, which wardens did once upon a time, they find needles and all sorts of stuff in there. Literally outside the restaurant, it’s not great.”

Mr Patel said the car was dumped and never removed and despite repeated reports, he said nothing has changed. Mr Patel said he has emailed the council three times but only ever receives the same response.

He said council officers told him the car’s owner was contacted on 9 October, and that officials would have to wait two weeks before passing the case to the DVLA for removal.

“I’ve heard this story before,” he said. “They always responded, instructing they would get in touch with the owner to get the vehicle removed. If not, they will instruct DVLA to come and remove the vehicle. It is within the council’s power to get it removed and take it to the compound or wherever,”

He said the car’s battery is dead and believes it was left by someone else before being taken over by drug users.

“Someone left the car and they’re using it,” he said. “The car was left open and junkies are using it.”

Mr Patel added that the situation feels unfair to local businesses. “I would love to drive in,” he said. “We don’t have parking permits that we can use for the businesses, so we can’t come in by car; we have to go by train, and this lot just dumps the car and goes. It’s not fair.

“It’s the authorities’ responsibility to remove it. If you leave your car unattended for 10 minutes, you’re more likely to get a parking ticket, but this car has been there for six months.”

“The area has never improved. The problem has always been here, but having an empty vehicle makes it worse.”

A Camden Council spokesperson said: “This vehicle was reported to us on September 12 2025, and we have since issued a notice and contacted the vehicle owner. “As per our standard process, they have a number of days to respond before it is removed by our contractors.”

The Met Police did not respond to New Journal requests for comment.