A homeless man has how he will be cooking Christmas lunch al fresco outside the shed he has built under Battersea Bridge as he wished his west London neighbours well in the festive season.
Shahoo Amini, 43, originally from Iran, said he would be throwing together a Christmas Day lunch to eat outside the shed which commands views of the Thames.
He said he enjoyed living in his temporary home he built for less than £300 but one of his New Year wishes was to live somewhere more permanent but still riverside.
He said: “I will be cooking lunch here, I have all I need. I will have good views with my Christmas lunch although it can get very cold by the water.
“Next year I would like to find a more permanent home on the river but it’s very expensive. For now here is okay. People have been very kind and in the Christmas spirit have bought me hot drinks. People are very friendly.
“I wish all my neighbours and everyone in London merry Christmas.”
He added that no one from the local council had visited his makeshift abode which is tucked discreetly under steps at the bridge.
Earlier this week Mr Amini told the Standard how he was “living my dream” after building his shed next to the Thames.
His humble abode is in sharp contrast to his west London neighbours with residents in Cheyne Walk have paid upwards of £3million for their apartments overlooking the river.
Mr Amini previously lived in a flat in Victoria but was evicted for rent arrear in March 2023 following a motorbike accident a year which left him unable to work as a courier, according to the MailOnline.
Cooking up a Mediterranean breakfast on a gas stove outside his home on Wednesday, he told the Standard: “I’m living my dream of living next to the water. There are great views and I feel lucky to have this place.
“The council have not given me trouble. The view is amazing and when I cook my breakfast outside in the morning I smile. I built this myself and am proud of what I have created.”
Mr Amini showers at a local gym and has organised his tiny living space so he can live there long-term despite the restrictions.
“It gets very cold at night and it’s not perfect but I’m thankful for my small refuge by the Thames!”
A TfL spokesman said they were “working with the housing and rough sleeping outreach service at Kensington and Chelsea Council to help the person staying in a shed on the Battersea Bridge structure”.
A spokesman for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council said: “Our first priority is to support rough sleepers into accessing benefits, housing and other support services based on their individual needs so they have an alternative to living on the streets.
“Our outreach team carries out night shifts multiple times a week to identify rough sleepers and help them as quickly as possible. It is a complex issue and this support is dependent on individuals wanting to work with us.”
