An illegal encampment has returned to a North Circular underpass, less than eight weeks after an eviction notice was served, the Guardian can reveal.

Up to 20 tents can be seen in four different locations underneath the Cooks Ferry flyover on the border of Chingford and Upper Edmonton.

One area of the underpass where there are five tents with mattresses lined up and cooking utensils, including a gas stove and an iron kettle is accessed by climbing over a barrier and walking over a wooden plank over a dry waterway.

Another section of the underpass featured eight tents lined up, and a further half a dozen spread out close by.

Landowner Thames Water secured an eviction notice in August to remove the illegal camp where up to "40 migrants" had been living for a number of months.

Working in partnership with homeless charity Thames Reach, bailiffs and officers from Enfield police visited the site on August 6 where they found the camps had already been abandoned.

A spokeswoman for Thames Water said today: "We were made aware of this this week and we are investigating the location."

Migrants are also believed to be sleeping rough on the same site as last year's "mini Calais" makeshift camp, next to the canal path off Advent Way.

Discovered among the trees and bushes were four tents with clothes hanging from a makeshift washing line.

A few yards down, another large tent in a forest area which has been fenced off with a wooden pallet and tied up with a belt.

Victor Corbett, 33, has been repairing his canal boat along the river for the past three weeks.

He said: "In the morning, you see them putting up the tents.

"I see them regularly and when they go to Wickes to try and get work.

"They don't speak any English, just ask for cigarettes.

"They also seem to have a couple of dogs."

Landlord Shane Kilcrann of the Old Hall Tavern pub in Hall Lane, Chingford, said he "sees people with mattresses heading down to the river and underpass all the time". 

Transport for London were responsible for clearing the camp in September 2014 and have been contacted with a comment.