Out of the blue, residents are being asked to fill out questionnaires by Thames Water – and they are alarmed by the tone. Representatives from the firm have been pushing for answers by actually knocking on people’s doors. Their approach is to appear informal, yet when the questions are seen in print they are pretty intrusive.

They include:

* Nature of your tenure concerning the land or property?

* Is the land subject to any mortgage or equitable interest?

* Please provide details of any other individuals or organisations that have an interest in the property.

Resident and interior designer Jules Lane, 48, told me she had also been left shocked by the tone of the questions. ‘Ominous’, ‘dread’ and ‘bullying’ were just three of the words she used.

People are undoubtedly suspicious and cannot understand the need for such intrusion.

Another neighbour, advertising executive Emma Wills, 28, is fretting about what the building work could do for the value of her home.

A first-time buyer, she has put all the money she has into bricks and mortar in the hope of creating a secure future for herself.

She would love to ask how the chief executive of Thames Water would feel if a main shaft of the Thames Tunnel were in his back garden. Would he find it acceptable if a building project lasting seven years, creating pollution and chaos were a stone’s throw from his home and local schools?

If you would like to know more about RATS, contact RatsinSouthFulham@gmail.com or visit the website at www.FulhamRats.org to sign a petition against the tunnel.