Prankster clamps car stuck in Hampstead Heath pond

A rusty old Ford Cortina was found at the bottom of a Hampstead Heath pond - and pranksters thought it would be rather funny to clamp it.

The car was found in August when the Model Boating Pond was drained as works started on a £15 million project to extend the height of the existing dams to prevent flooding.


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It is still there, and has become an attraction of sorts.

As well as clamping it, the jokers also put up a homemade "No Parking" sign and placed a traffic cone next to the rotting car.

However, not everybody found it funny.

Speaking to the Camden New Journal, Heath superintendent Bob Warnock said the clamping joke could have potentially ended in tragedy.

He said: "Entering the work site around Model Boating Pond is dangerous, with steep sides, uneven surfaces and slippery, muddy conditions. Members of the public are urged not to breach the barrier."

According to the Mirror, it is thought the car was dumped in the pond by the wife of an angler, who told her he was fishing on the pond when he was really having an affair.

The 1970s Mark II Ford car was due to be dragged from the pond on Thursday and then scrapped.