A trio of homeowners in Crouch End were surprised and alarmed on Monday afternoon to see scaffolding had been erected across the front of their flats – without any of them having building work planned.

On Monday afternoon, a local scaffolding firm put up the scaffolding while those living at the address, in Rathcoole Gardens, were out.

By the time anyone returned home, the mystery scaffolding was in place, and there was no sign of who had put it up.

One of the homeowners caught up in the situation, Carl Ryan, told the Broadway: "I got a message from my wife. Someone in one of the other flats asked if it was our doing.

"Obviously we hadn't done it."

Neither had either of the other freeholders, so Carl and his wife both rushed home to check everything was as it should be.

Luckily, nothing had been touched inside the house..

Carl, who has lived in Crouch End for a decade, continued: "I panicked a bit.

"You hear about scams, and I was a bit alarmed - could you use the scaffolding to get in a window?" A nervous night followed, and on Tuesday morning Carl alerted the police to what had happened, but said he was at a loss about quite what to do.

This was compounded as there were none of the usual signs or contact details scaffolders have to attach to units.

Luckily for the residents of Rathcoole Gardens, the situation had what Carl called an "pretty anti-climactic" end.

He said: "A few chaps turned up.

"Apparently they'd been given the wrong address, and they've started to take it down now..."

When asked if they would have any power to step in had the scaffolding not been swiftly removed, Haringey Council explained it was an unusual situation but that this appeared to be a civil matter.

As the Broadway went to press, we had been unable to reach the firm of scaffolders thought to be responsible for the mistake.