Deliveroo and Gopuff riders have built a tented camp under a Shoreditch railway bridge, prompting complaints over illegal working, drug dealing and public urination.
The makeshift encampment on Fleet Street Hill in central London, situated little more than a mile from the City, is home to around 12 men, primarily Sudanese migrants. Distinctive turquoise Deliveroo satchels and Gopuff delivery bags rest alongside bicycles and e-bikes, some concealed under tarpaulin, as couriers wait for orders dispatched through smartphone apps.
Living conditions under the graffiti-covered bridge sandwiched between two railway lines are harsh, with residents lacking running water and basic sanitation. Men cook on a portable stove and keep clothes in an IKEA chest of drawers placed against an underpass wall, while a Cross of St George hangs over one tent.
Shoreditch, an inner-city district in east London known for its tech start-ups, eateries and coffee bars, sits near historic sites in neighboring Whitechapel. Local historians note that Jack the Ripper used the area as a cut-through during the 1880s, when residents complained about the stench of fermenting fish offal from Billingsgate and Smithfield markets, and scenes for the horror film Omen III were filmed at the underpass.
The encampment now produces a heavy stench of urine and is infested with rats running between discarded food cartons. Despite the environment, couriers spring into action when notified of jobs at nearby Brick Lane, located five minutes away on foot.
Account renting and illegal working
Asylum seekers in the UK are generally prohibited from taking paid employment during their first 12 months or until their claim is approved. However, migrants at the camp explained that illegal working is widespread due to account renting, where individuals legally registered on delivery platforms sublet their accounts to others.
A 28-year-old Sudanese migrant who arrived in the UK two years ago confirmed that account sharing is common practice. "It’s not a problem, we share accounts. It is easy. You can work when you want to, stop when you want to. I must make money otherwise what will I do?" he said, adding: "I came here for a better life. There is nothing for me at home. I came here two years ago. I lived in many places. Here, we are all together. It is better than some other places. What else should I do? I cannot get work another way."
Another resident, 26-year-old Ibrahim Mohammed, said he previously lived at the Fleet Street Hill site for a year while working for Uber Eats. "It’s hard living here. How are you going to take a shower, for example? The council doesn’t really help. I don’t have any family here. It was three years ago that I came to the UK. You will see a lot of people on the bikes here," Mohammed said.
Deliveroo informs potential drivers on its website that it conducts document and criminal record checks before allowing riders onto the road, declaring: "Your rider journey starts here!" and "We’re so excited to have you join the fleet." Under UK law, employers who knowingly employ individuals without the right to work face up to five years in prison.
Despite platform verification requirements, police operations show significant levels of unauthorized working among delivery drivers. During Operation Equalise, a week-long police crackdown last summer, officers checked 1,482 couriers and arrested 151 who were working illegally, leading to at least 17 deportations.
Resident alarm and drug allegations
Neighbors and local workers expressed fear over the encampment and reported open illegal activity. Emma O’Donnell, 42, said: "It scares me witless down there. Walking past those staring men feels like running the gauntlet. And it stinks. I haven’t heard of any violence or threats, but my God it feels scary. It can’t be right, can it?"
Local resident Peter Shannon, 62, alleged that drug use was widespread at the site. "I don’t think people would be too pleased if they found out where their food is coming from. Most of these blokes are off their heads on crack. It’s difficult because you know they need somewhere to live, but the current set up is like some sort of slum," Shannon said. He added: "You see broken glass everywhere, things dumped and people urinating. It was a popular short cut to Cheshire Street. But a lot of folks walk around it now to avoid the madness. You’ve got people screaming there and all sorts, off their heads."
Another local resident claimed couriers sell crack openly by gathering in bike clusters to execute deals, using delivery bags and uniforms as cover. Others reported seeing riders who appeared spaced out or dancing without music.
A convenience store owner on nearby Cheshire Street, which feeds into Brick Lane, stated that migrants "charge in here and help themselves. I’m pinned behind the counter so there’s nothing I can do." A resident mother-of-two said she avoids the area for safety and cannot bear the smell, noting that men first appeared last year, were housed over Christmas, but returned as the local council took no long-term action.
During a visit to the site on a Wednesday afternoon, a heavily tattooed cyclist spoke with a Deliveroo rider who tipped open his bike bag. The cyclist subsequently threatened a reporter from The Mail on Sunday, warning "I’ll spark you" and demanding to inspect the reporter's phone after suspecting the exchange was filmed. The reporter refused. However, another local resident noted that charity workers periodically arrive to distribute meals, saying: "There is a human side to this that is overlooked by a lot of people. They are suffering and should be given better help."
Political fallout and company responses
The situation has drawn criticism from political figures calling for stricter regulation. Zia Yusuf, home affairs spokesman for Reform UK, said: "Labour and Tory weakness allowed a migrant shanty town to rise in the middle of the capital." He added: "the British people are done with a system that lets corporate bosses walk away scot-free while they enable the invasion of this country and the crime that inevitably comes with it."
Yusuf argued that past administrations created an ecosystem funnelling illegal migrants into the national economy, driving down wages and funding Channel human trafficking networks. Reform UK pledged to introduce a "Deliveroo law" making company chief executives and directors personally and criminally liable for illegal working, alongside a "Turkish barber’s tip line" offering financial rewards to the public for reporting illegal workers, paid from corporate fines.
A Home Office source described Reform's proposals as "empty posturing", stating that the department is already raising financial penalties for companies that employ unauthorized workers.
A spokesman for Deliveroo said the firm had not received evidence confirming illegal platform access by the individuals, but was "extremely concerned by these reports and are increasing monitoring efforts in the area to identify any signs of suspicious account activity." The spokesman emphasized a "zero tolerance approach to illegal working on the platform, and the organised criminal exploitation that is often behind it", confirming contact with the local council and ongoing cooperation with the Home Office. Deliveroo previously introduced facial verification and fraud detection tech after ministers raised concerns.
Delivery firm Gopuff stated it takes right-to-work compliance extremely seriously with zero tolerance for illegal working, noting that all account holders undergo checks upon registration. A spokesman confirmed that starting October 1, Gopuff will introduce facial verification technology for account holders and substitutes to align with Home Office rules.
Routine observations at 5pm on Thursday showed a Deliveroo rider unzipping his tent following a shift, while two Gopuff riders departed on e-bikes toward Brick Lane. Remaining riders rested in the underpass, changing outside tents or moving branded bags out of view.
Similar encampments have appeared elsewhere in London, including Clissold Park in Stoke Newington, three miles north of Shoreditch. Tents and Just Eat bags have been set up in the park, a location popular with young families. When challenged by a resident at 8:30pm over why campers remained while others were required to leave, a park warden sheepishly promised to ask them to go, though the resident noted they remained, calling it modern Britain in a nutshell.
