A gang of Romanian beggars sleeping rough on one of London's most exclusive streets  today demanded: 'We're EU citizens, give us houses'. The 40-strong group sleeping in a subway under Park Lane have been accused of turning it into a 'slum' having lived in various camps near Marble Arch for 18 months. Local businesses believe they have driven away customers because of the mess and members of the group urinating in the street and fighting with rivals. Today the group said they are willing to pack up their cardboard boxes if Westminster Council found them homes. Scroll down for video . Demand: Romanian migrants have been camping in a subway in Park Lane and one member has demanded homes because they are EU citizens . Clear up:  Westminster City Council has said the problems on Park Lane has cost taxpayers £500,000 a year . Detritus: Mattresses abd other items used by the camp are dumped on the pavement close to the Marble Arch subway . One middle-aged Eastern European woman, who refused to give her name, told the Evening Standard: 'We are from Romania. We are in the European Union. We need help with a house. Give us a house and we won't be here.' EU migrants can claim a council house in certain circumstances. Westminster Council says the problem of these Park Lane camps has cost the taxpayer £500,000 a year. They have campaigned to evict the rough sleepers — even buying them tickets to fly home — but some just come back. Gangs of immigrants have persistently been bedding down in Hyde Park and next to Marble Arch on Park Lane. These gangs are being blamed for crime and anti-social behaviour including pickpocketing, cashpoint fraud and street scams. In August out of 37 homeless people screened at Marble Arch just two were put on flights home - with one going voluntarily due to ill health - on £200 flights paid for by the taxpayer. Rough sleepers can regularly be seen camping out in front of expensive shops on adjoining Park Lane and close to the plush Dorchester Hotel where rooms start at around £550 a night and rise to over £7,000 for a suite. In May this year a penthouse flat at One Hyde Park - a short walk from the camp - sold for a reported £140m. Complaints from local residents and businesses include reports of Eastern European gangs begging, washing in fountains, dumping rubbish and defecating in public. Hakan Altay, owner of this Park Lane hair salon, says the camp needs to go because it is costing him 'tens of thousands' Problems: Police have moved members of the gangs on and even given them free flights home but they still return . Gangs of immigrants have persistently been bedding down in Hyde Park and next to Marble Arch on Park Lane. Raid: Police have broken up camps near Marble Arch on several occasions and the latest group is sleeping rough in an underpass . Map shows location of the upmarket area in central London where mainly Romanian nationals have been sleeping rough . People living near them say their streets are becoming 'open sewers' and claim they are having to bleach pavements outside their homes and shops because of the dirt. Park Lane hair salon owner Hakan Altay says the camp needs to go because it is costing him 'tens of thousands'. He told the Standard: 'My business has been killed by them. When I ask them to leave, they just shout. They don't understand. They sleep outside the shop and make my property smell of urine. They go to the toilet where they like.' Cllr Nickie Aiken, Westminster City Council cabinet member for community protection: 'I want to stress that the council and its partners go to great lengths to support those in genuine need and help them with a route away from rough sleeping. 'Home Office Immigration already has the power to send home any EU nationals not exercising their EU Treaty rights, and the council will continue to work with the Home Office and Metropolitan Police to ensure that this happens. 'The council is well aware of the anti-social behaviour in this area and the daily impact it has on residents and businesses. Cleaning up costs local Westminster's tax-payers approximately £500,000 every year - but the long-term solution doesn't lie with the council. The fact remains that the current legislative powers available do not go far enough and still allow some EU nationals to exploit a three-month window to stay here without making a positive contribution to London life. We need tighter regulations.'
Gang accused of turning areas of exclusive London street into a 'slum'
Businesses along Park Lane say the behaviour of gangs is killing their trade .
Local council has said the mess and moving them on costs £500,000 a year .
A gang of Romanian beggars sleeping rough on one of London's most exclusive streets  today demanded: 'We're EU citizens, give us houses'. The 40-strong group sleeping in a subway under Park Lane have been accused of turning it into a 'slum' having lived in various camps near Marble Arch for 18 months. Local businesses believe they have driven away customers because of the mess and members of the group urinating in the street and fighting with rivals. Today the group said they are willing to pack up their cardboard boxes if Westminster Council found them homes. Scroll down for video . Demand: Romanian migrants have been camping in a subway in Park Lane and one member has demanded homes because they are EU citizens . Clear up:  Westminster City Council has said the problems on Park Lane has cost taxpayers £500,000 a year . Detritus: Mattresses abd other items used by the camp are dumped on the pavement close to the Marble Arch subway . One middle-aged Eastern European woman, who refused to give her name, told the Evening Standard: 'We are from Romania. We are in the European Union. We need help with a house. Give us a house and we won't be here.' EU migrants can claim a council house in certain circumstances. Westminster Council says the problem of these Park Lane camps has cost the taxpayer £500,000 a year. They have campaigned to evict the rough sleepers — even buying them tickets to fly home — but some just come back. Gangs of immigrants have persistently been bedding down in Hyde Park and next to Marble Arch on Park Lane. These gangs are being blamed for crime and anti-social behaviour including pickpocketing, cashpoint fraud and street scams. In August out of 37 homeless people screened at Marble Arch just two were put on flights home - with one going voluntarily due to ill health - on £200 flights paid for by the taxpayer. Rough sleepers can regularly be seen camping out in front of expensive shops on adjoining Park Lane and close to the plush Dorchester Hotel where rooms start at around £550 a night and rise to over £7,000 for a suite. In May this year a penthouse flat at One Hyde Park - a short walk from the camp - sold for a reported £140m. Complaints from local residents and businesses include reports of Eastern European gangs begging, washing in fountains, dumping rubbish and defecating in public. Hakan Altay, owner of this Park Lane hair salon, says the camp needs to go because it is costing him 'tens of thousands' Problems: Police have moved members of the gangs on and even given them free flights home but they still return . Gangs of immigrants have persistently been bedding down in Hyde Park and next to Marble Arch on Park Lane. Raid: Police have broken up camps near Marble Arch on several occasions and the latest group is sleeping rough in an underpass . Map shows location of the upmarket area in central London where mainly Romanian nationals have been sleeping rough . People living near them say their streets are becoming 'open sewers' and claim they are having to bleach pavements outside their homes and shops because of the dirt. Park Lane hair salon owner Hakan Altay says the camp needs to go because it is costing him 'tens of thousands'. He told the Standard: 'My business has been killed by them. When I ask them to leave, they just shout. They don't understand. They sleep outside the shop and make my property smell of urine. They go to the toilet where they like.' Cllr Nickie Aiken, Westminster City Council cabinet member for community protection: 'I want to stress that the council and its partners go to great lengths to support those in genuine need and help them with a route away from rough sleeping. 'Home Office Immigration already has the power to send home any EU nationals not exercising their EU Treaty rights, and the council will continue to work with the Home Office and Metropolitan Police to ensure that this happens. 'The council is well aware of the anti-social behaviour in this area and the daily impact it has on residents and businesses. Cleaning up costs local Westminster's tax-payers approximately £500,000 every year - but the long-term solution doesn't lie with the council. The fact remains that the current legislative powers available do not go far enough and still allow some EU nationals to exploit a three-month window to stay here without making a positive contribution to London life. We need tighter regulations.'
Park Lane have been accused of turning it into a has said the problems on Park Lane has cost taxpayers £500,000 a year . Detritus: Mattresses the gangs on and even given them free flights