Owners of illegally-moored boats will be prosecuted by Richmond Council from next month after new legislation comes into force.

The council has campaigned for four years to clamp down on the unlawful vessels and the new bylaw, which becomes active from 1am on March 13, means it will be a criminal offence to moor on council-owned or managed land.

Boat owners who do so could face a fine or prison sentence and for every 24 hours a boat is moored, a new crime has been committed.

Councillor Pamela Fleming, cabinet member for environment, said: "Some of these boats cause a great deal of distress for people living in and visiting the borough.

"We hope that we will soon see the end of these boats mooring with no permission along our beautiful stretch of the Thames.

"Over the next few weeks we will follow up on the notices already given, and contact all those vessels currently in an unauthorised spot on the river and warn them that their unauthorised mooring days are over."