Tony Evangelou at Lemonia in Primrose Hill

A FAMILY-RUN Greek restaurant which has been part of the fabric of Primrose Hill for nearly 50 years says it is being swamped by hire bikes left outside.

Tony Evangelou, owner of Lemonia in Regent’s Park Road, which over the years has been a favourite spot among many famous faces including actor Jude Law, singers Harry Styles and Rita Ora, said he had “put his back out ” trying to clear a path for deliveries.

He said around 50 of the green bikes and scooters were left outside at the weekend as riders used up all the space in a designated parking bay – but kept adding to them anyway.

The restaurant’s experience has now raised questions as to whether Camden is able to keep control of the system run by operators Lime and Forest – even with the bays in place around the borough.

The council and the companies brought them in after previously been criticised for a “park where you like” dockless system which blocked pathways and pavements. Rows of bikes are overspilling the bike bay and blocking the entrance used by delivery drivers to drop off ingredients in Erskine Road.

“Without exaggerating, there can be 50 or 60 bikes parked there,” Mr Evangelou said. “They block our entrance. They just dump them on the pavement. I had to help move them on the weekend when they were all over the place and I’ve done my back in to move the bikes.

“Fifty per cent of the time they’re everywhere, on the pavement, down the side. It’s one of the busiest restaurants in London. We employ 35 people. Those 35 people, if you multiply their families, that’s nearly 200 people depending on this restaurant, plus the customers.”

Rule changes in Camden mean riders must use bays at the end of their ride and the new bay was installed about three months ago. But it rapidly gets full and overflowing at weekends as people head to Primrose Hill with the warmer weather.

Mr Evangelou said that Friday to Sunday has become “a nightmare” with bikes, adding: “The council haven’t done their homework. Why put it right outside the restaurant? Yet if we do something wrong Camden comes down on us like sharks.”

He also said a bin for residents living above the restaurant had become a free-for-all dumping ground.

“It’s like a mountain. It can be here all day and not collected for two days,” he said. “You get foxes in the night and birds in the morning.”

Hire bikes collapsed on the pavement and road in Primrose Hill

A Camden Council spokesperson said: “A dockless bike and e-scooter hire bay was installed at this location following a full consultation with residents and local businesses, with the aim to encourage active travel and improve local air quality and reduce carbon emissions. We will monitor the use of the bay and work with bike providers to ensure that any excess bikes are removed promptly.

“Bins were also introduced for those living in flats above shops to place their waste in prior to collection and reduce the number of bags left on the pavement. Waste bags should not be placed next to the bins and we will look into this issue with residents using the bins.”

Bikes block deliveries to Lemonia

A Lime spokesperson said: “The recent good weather has seen record demand in Camden, particularly around the borough’s popular green spaces and hospitality venues. While it’s encouraging to see more people choosing sustainable transport, we understand the frustration when bays become overcrowded. We’ve increased our on-street team working in Camden and are monitoring this location closely to help keep the area accessible for everyone.”

Alex Berwin, head of policy at Forest, said: “We take all reports of any of our e-bikes causing an obstruction extremely seriously. Our operations team are operative 24/7, and we have a dedicated team of on-foot guardians in Camden who proactively relocate abandoned e-bikes and tidy parking bays.

“This is in addition to in-app AI technology we have implemented into our app which grades users’ end-of-ride photos and can detect when an e-bike is left irresponsibly, and after which we will warn, fine or suspend their account.”