A “war of the roses” erupted in an East Sheen street earlier this week when residents continued their campaign against a controversial development.

Robin Popham and Amanda Wilson, of Avenue Gardens, became stone statues and flanked a rose arch erected in shrubs and flower beds in protest over their possible destruction should the development go ahead.

Tory parliamentary candidate for Richmond Park, Zac Goldsmith, joined the War of the Roses event to show his opposition to plans to demolish a house and garden with nine dwellings.

Julia Bates, spokesman for the SOS Avenue Gardens action group, said: “This scheme is driven by pure greed and the residents can see that.”