Boat dwellers in Brentford claim their electricity was cut without warning on the orders of Hounslow Council , which is trying to evict them .
Occupants of houseboats beside Watermans Park say the supply was severed on the morning of Monday, February 8, at about 11am, as Storm Imogen lashed the UK.
They were left without hot water, and some boats, which rely on an electric pump to stay afloat, were put at risk of sinking, before the supply was restored at around 9pm that evening.
Stephen Alexander, who owns and lives on one of the boats moored there, said: "We were fairly shocked when the electricity was cut off with no warning.
"It was the stormiest day of the year and there were children on board some of the boats who were left cold and hungry.
"Two of the boats rely on pumps to keep them afloat. One was pretty much on its way down by the time the electricity was restored.
"Our lawyers have written a letter of complaint to the council and requested no further harassment."
The boat owners say the council instructed Southern Electric to cut them off but the supply was restored after they complained to the company.
The council issued legal notices on Friday, February 5 requiring the owners of all boats moored at the site to remove their vessels, and giving them seven days in which to respond.
It wants to clear the stretch of Thames adjacent to the park, in High Street, Brentford, so it can build a new marina .
Council leader Steve Curran claims the new marina, which is awaiting planning permission, will smarten up the river bank and provide fresh impetus for Brentford's ongoing regeneration. He says the boats are currently moored illegally.
But owners and tenants of the boats have come up with alternative plans, which they say are more respectful of the local environment and would better open up the river to the public while costing a fraction of the price.
They plan to contest their eviction in the courts, where they will argue they are moored legally and are not trespassing as they have been climbing over the park wall to access their boats for up to 30 years.
getwestlondon has contacted Hounslow Council for a comment.
