Foxes have reportedly taken up residence in the sleeping portacabins at a hotel which hopes to open in 2022.

The Snoozebox property site in Cuba Street, Canary Wharf has also attracted fly-tipping and graffiti while its opening is delayed by the pandemic.

The waste dumped at the site - which is meant to be an ultra-modern facility offering sleeping containers to provide cheap accommodation - includes mattresses, road signs and other litter.

Snoozebox, which has another branch in Newham near West Ham’s London Stadium, said it hopes to open the run-down Canary Wharf branch early next year.

A spokesperson said: “It is unfortunate that Canary Wharf [Snoozebox] has yet to open – we are pushing to open in [the first quarter of] 2022, but supply chain issues and the pandemic have played a part in delaying things.

“With regard to rubbish, we send a team in every week to check on the site.

“We often find rubbish on the site, illegally dumped or thrown over the hoarding – we do our best to clean it up when we can.

“Ballymore have also recently repainted the hoarding as it was heavily graffitied.”

The Snoozebox hotel in Canary Wharf was planned as part of a three- to five-year lease from developers Ballymore, which owns the site.

Ballymore had originally planned to build two towers on the site, but turned to Snoozebox when its application was rejected.

It now plans to build a 52-storey tower on the site if approved by Tower Hamlets Council.

Part of the site is currently being used as a car park for Ballymore staff.

Andrew Wood, Canary Wharf councillor, suggested the site could have been used as temporary housing for some of the 21,000 people on the social housing waiting list in Tower Hamlets.

He said: “It is a pity that this site, like many others, has been left and unused for such a long period of time.

“The portacabins might have provided an ideal short term base for people on the council’s social housing waiting list rather than being placed in a hostel or bed and breakfast outside of Tower Hamlets while they wait for other accommodation to become available, as has happened to some.”

Tower Hamlets Council and Ballymore were contacted for comment.