dunksplace
05-27-2008, 10:21 PM
i found this on the bbc website,
i thought it might be of interest... dunk
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7419178.stm
Homeless 'harassed' by cleaners
Broadway said rough sleepers brought community and personal issues
Homeless people who sleep on the streets claim they are being harassed by City of London Corporation cleaners.
A number of rough sleepers told the BBC that they were constantly being woken up as part of what they say is a campaign to force them into hostels.
One man said the street cleaners only targeted doorways where people slept.
The City of London Corporation admitted that it was taking a "more assertive approach towards rough sleepers" but said it was not trying to move them on.
It said street cleaners needed to wash the doorsteps through the night and the police were only checking on their welfare.
"The police are more actively checking on people's welfare throughout the night." Howard Sinclair
But one man, who did not want to be named, said: "There's no attempt to scrub it down, there's no attempt to mop it up - it's just left wet.
"They cannot say they are doing it to all the properties. They are specifically doing it to where homeless people are sleeping."
Another said the police woke them up to tell them the cleaners were on the way and then the cleaners just poured buckets of water on the floor.
Howard Sinclair, chief executive of Broadway, which operates homeless support services for the corporation, denied there was any sort of campaign to harass rough sleepers.
He said: "The police are more actively checking on people's welfare throughout the night.
"What we know is that rough sleepers are in a vulnerable position very often. Unfortunately there are community issues around what they bring in terms of some urination and some belongings that they have.
"There are also issues for the people themselves in terms of making sure that they know that help and support is available if they choose to take that up."
Broadway said hostels had been improved over the past 10 years.
i thought it might be of interest... dunk
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7419178.stm
Homeless 'harassed' by cleaners
Broadway said rough sleepers brought community and personal issues
Homeless people who sleep on the streets claim they are being harassed by City of London Corporation cleaners.
A number of rough sleepers told the BBC that they were constantly being woken up as part of what they say is a campaign to force them into hostels.
One man said the street cleaners only targeted doorways where people slept.
The City of London Corporation admitted that it was taking a "more assertive approach towards rough sleepers" but said it was not trying to move them on.
It said street cleaners needed to wash the doorsteps through the night and the police were only checking on their welfare.
"The police are more actively checking on people's welfare throughout the night." Howard Sinclair
But one man, who did not want to be named, said: "There's no attempt to scrub it down, there's no attempt to mop it up - it's just left wet.
"They cannot say they are doing it to all the properties. They are specifically doing it to where homeless people are sleeping."
Another said the police woke them up to tell them the cleaners were on the way and then the cleaners just poured buckets of water on the floor.
Howard Sinclair, chief executive of Broadway, which operates homeless support services for the corporation, denied there was any sort of campaign to harass rough sleepers.
He said: "The police are more actively checking on people's welfare throughout the night.
"What we know is that rough sleepers are in a vulnerable position very often. Unfortunately there are community issues around what they bring in terms of some urination and some belongings that they have.
"There are also issues for the people themselves in terms of making sure that they know that help and support is available if they choose to take that up."
Broadway said hostels had been improved over the past 10 years.