Police and council officers raided the homes in east London in the past month.

The found one three-bedroom property housing 16 people, including a six-week-old baby, and a bullmastiff dog. Another landlord was making £4,000 a month by packing a three-bedroom home with 10 tenants.

Another three-bedroom house in Barking was home to 15 people but had faulty electrics, no fire alarms and frayed wires hanging overhead.

Labour council leader in Barking and Dagenham Darren Rodwell accused landlords of putting profit before humanity.

“To be frank about it, it’s a horrible blight on London in the 21st century when we are going back to Dickensian times.

“They are rogue landlords preying on people’s vulnerability. It’s grime crime and it’s money at all costs. The landlords are just one step up from human traffickers quite frankly. They are counting on people’s plight [and] that’s not acceptable.”

The raids were the latest in a number of raids on overcrowded housing in Barking and Dagenham. Last month saw council officers raid an unused police station in Barking, and found up to 30 people living there.