THE battle to remove a houseboat illegally moored on a Southampton river came to an end yesterday as council teams moved in to demolish it.

For more than a year Southampton City Council has been trying to remove the boat which was home to Gregory Park after winning a court order to evict him.

Yesterday that work began with the boat being one of three vessels to be dismantled in an effort to clear the shoreline at a site under Cobden Bridge. 

The area, known as the Mudlands on the River Itchen in St Denys, was a hive of activity with experts donning their waterproof gear before sailing in small dinghies to reach the former floating house known as Coot. 

The team worked to fit large floats to the boat as police officers looked on from a cordoned-off area of the bridge’s pedestrian path.

Work continued throughout the day with pumps being fitted to drain the now derelict vessel. It is understood the teams would have to wait until high tide to float and pull the boats down the river. 

They will then be taken to Chessel Bay and broken up. 

The action comes a year after the Daily Echo reported on Mr Park’s battle to keep the Coot afloat. 

He owned the 63ft blue and cream jetty when Southampton City Council chiefs took legal action against him in August 2013 

They won the court ruling to evict him, despite Mr Park’s defiant words of “I will not move”. 

A spokesperson from Southampton City Council said: “We have taken legal action to remove three unlawfully moored and unoccupied vessels from our land because the boat owner and occupiers were illegally trespassing on the council’s land and despite repeated requests had refused to remove the boats.

“A possession order had been duly made by the court entitling the council to remove the boats and regain possession of the land. The council had health and safety concerns as two of the boats had partially sunk and posed a danger to the public.”

The Daily Echo has been unable to contact Mr Park concerning yesterday’s developments.