Desperate foreign builders queue to earn just £40 a day in migrants' dawn patrol

Each morning more than 50 Romanians, Bulgarians and Poles congregate outside a DIY store in North London hoping to be given work by passing tradesmen.

Asking as little as £40 for a full day's untaxed labour, they claim to be tilers, carpenters and builders with experience accrued in mainland Europe.

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But last week, by 7.30am some workers were already drinking alcohol outside Wickes DIY store on Seven Sisters Road, Tottenham, while others admitted they had not been offered any jobs for days.

Although three white vans stopped to pick up labourers over the next two hours, the majority were left hanging around on the street.

Local businesses claim the growing numbers of immigrant workers, who travel to the spot from all over London, are putting off customers and intimidating passers-by.

A cafe owner, who did not wish to be named, said: "They stand outside blocking the doorways, drinking and littering the streets.

"They stand out here for a couple of hours.

"And when the builders come along, they claim they are tilers, carpenters, brickies – when really they don't have the skills.

"They will say anything to get the work."

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The problem has become so bad over the last 12 months that police have put in place a dispersal order around Wickes in an attempt to move them on.

The order gives police the powers to send away groups of two or more for up to 24 hours.

Those found guilty of contravening a dispersal order can in theory receive a maximum of three months' imprisonment or a fine of up to £2,500.

Although police regularly patrol the dispersal zone throughout the day, the large groups of men wander back to the same spot as soon as the officers have left.

A year ago, the majority of the immigrant workers outside Wickes were Poles, but they have now been largely replaced by Romanians and Bulgarians, the latest entrants into the EU.

Local builders claim the more recent arrivals do not have the same building skills as the Poles.

Romanian Iulian Prisecau, 33, travelled to London six months ago.

He said: "People think we are bad men, but we just want to work like everyone else.

"I have been a builder for 13 years. I have a wife and kids back in Romania and I thought I would be able to make good money here for them. I am legally self-employed. I pay tax on all my jobs."

Sergeant Nick Day, from St Ann's Safer Neighbourhoods Team, said: "Though the dispersal order has seen an improvement in the area and a reduction in anti-social behaviour, it's apparent that groups of males are still gathering and that there is still an impact on local residents and businesses.

"We are working with the London Borough of Haringey anti-social behaviour action team and will be making an extra effort to solve the issues over the following six months."