4 FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2018 LEICESTER MERCURY
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NEWS
❚❙ Legal action may be used to dismantle makeshift camp while nearby
Tent pair
may be
forced to
move on
Two homeless men living in
tents at a makeshift campsite
in Leicester could face legal
action to make them move out
of the city centre.
Leicester City Council said it
would take the action if the two
rough sleepers continue to “re-
fuse” offers of accommodation.
The men have set up a camp in
Highcross Street, off Jubilee
Square and near to the High-
cross shopping centre.
They each have a tent, one of
which is placed upon a wooden
pallet to raise it off the cold
ground.
Items such as sleeping bags,
cooking utensils and empty
food packaging are scattered
around them.
One of the men, John Hallam,
44, has been there since June
last year. He told the Leicester
Mercury he does not want to
move into the sheltered accom-
modation he has been offered.
The newspaper has been un-
able to speak to the other man,
whose name is Keith.
The authority has said that if
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its offers of temporary accom-
modation continued to be de-
clined, it might take legal ac-
tion.
People at businesses in the
area called for “help” and
“compassion” for the pair,
which Leicester City Council
insisted it was providing.
Speaking on Wednesday,
January 9, ahead of the coun-
cil’s statement, Benji Legros,
manager of Cosy Club, said:
“They deserve help and they
deserve compassion. It’s our
role as people that have plenty
to look after those who don’t
have anything. We do what we
can.”
NO PROBLEM
Matthew Wilby, 21, lives in a
flat which backs on to High-
cross Street where the tents are
and said the people staying
there have never caused him
any issues.
“I don’t have any problem
with them, I feel sorry for them
and they should get some
help,” he said.
Simon Ho is a manager at the
Volunteers turn
city market into
feeding station
ONCE a week, when the
traders have packed up for
the day, Leicester Market is
transformed into a feeding
station for the homeless and
needy.
Volunteers from Help the
Homeless Leicester arrive
each Wednesday at 6pm and
set up tubs of steaming curry
and rice on the stalls, as well
as providing sandwiches and
clean clothes to distribute to
those in need.
Each week, up to 80 people
– many homeless, others
struggling to make ends meet
– show up to get a bit of help.
Arif Voraji, of Help the
Homeless, said: “We’ve been
doing the weekly feed here
since 2015.
“We get some nice curry
and rice made up at the
temple in Colton Street and
we get loads of sandwiches
donated from a factory in Lut-
terworth.
“We have clean, dry
clothes, socks, underwear,
nearby Terra Cotta restaurant.
He said: “I do feel sorry them.
At the very beginning I used to
give them money but, after
that, it got to be more people.
“ omeone needs to find some-
where for them to live.”
He did add that dirt and waste
caused is becoming a problem.
The authority has said if its of-
fers of temporary accommoda-
tion continued to be declined, it
might take legal action.
Councillor Andy Connelly, as-
sistant city mayor for housing,
said: “Every effort is being
made to provide temporary ac-
commodation and support to
two individuals rough sleeping
on Highcross Street.
“However, offers of accom-
jeans and sleeping bags – the
sort of things people need.”
Arif said 20 volunteers gave
up their time each week to
hand out the items and food.
He said: “We are really
grateful to them and every-
one who donates because
we could not do this without
them.
“We don’t just help the
homeless but also people
who have found themselves
down on their luck; struggling
families.
“We try to make it pretty
relaxed and have a friendly,
non-judgemental atmo-
sphere.
“It’s a place where people
just come for a chat because
it might be the only company
“In 2018, in a wealthy
country like ours, people
shouldn’t need to have to
come and queue up for
food. But the need is there
and as long as it is we will do
our best to keep giving help
to people who need it.”
modation and support at the
Dawn Centre and other hostels
have so far been refused.
“We are continuing to make
daily visits to address any im-
mediate health needs and en-
courage the take-up of tempor-
ary accommodation.
“Our city wardens are also
visiting regularly to ensure
that any associated rubbish is
cleared away promptly.
“Our aim is to provide tem-
porary accommodation and as-
sociated support in the short
term.
“However, if these offers are
still refused and the individu-
als cause an ongoing nuisance,
we may be left with no option
than to consider legal action.”
Facebook.com/leicestermercury
PICTURE: JACOB JARVIS
‘DRAINED’: John Hallam, living in tent in Highcross Street
FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2018 LEICESTER MERCURY
@Leicester_Merc
businesses say homeless need compassion. Jacob Jarvis reports
‘I just want to get a job and get a flat’
A FORMER landscape gardener and that made my head go a
living in a tent in the city bit,” said John.
centre says he “just wants to He got into trouble with the
get a job and a flat”. police for stealing, and spent
John Hallam set up a shelter time in a bail hostel, he said,
in Highcross Street, off Jubilee and since being on the streets,
Square, last summer, and has had only been given one offer of
been there ever since. The 44- temporary accommodation by
year-old told the Mercury he Leicester City Council. That
became homeless last January, was at the Dawn Centre, in
following the breakdown of a Conduit Street, near the rail
relationship. station, and he did not want to
The ex-businessman, who go there. The council refuted
used to live in Hinckley, also de- that, however, and said it had
scribed how he felt “drained given him multiple options of
and tired” from his time on the short-term places to stay.
streets. “My missus left me, Speaking of the Dawn Centre,
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which has 42 rooms and offers
temporary accommodation to
homeless people, John said he
would “rather be here (in his
tent) than there”.
“Getting a job and a flat would
be what I want,” he said.
The council said it was unable
to fulfil that request because he
last resided in Hinckley, so
long-term accommodation
would need to be provided by
Hinckley and Bosworth Bor-
ough Council.
This council also said it had
not had contact with Mr Hal-
lam since May 2016.
ROOFING
5
NEWS
‘Dead rough
sleeper’ post
on Facebook
proved a fake
A Facebook post claiming to BY DAN MARTIN explain it was fake and many of
show a rough sleeper who had Politics Correspondent them as a result removed the
frozen to death on the streets post from their feeds.
of Leicester is fake, officials The Mercury understands the
be shared at all. Leicester City man in the picture is genuinely
have said. Council, which is responsible a rough sleeper who has been
The post includes an image of for preventing rough sleeping begging in the city centre but
a man slumped on the ground in the city, has had its outreach that he is not dead.
under a duvet. teams investigate the apparent Arif Voraji, of Help the Home-
It has been shared thousands death. less Leicester, said: “That post
of times after it was first posted
last week following the cold
snap between Christmas and
It said no rough sleepers have
died on the streets recently.
A council spokesman said:
was shared by someone who
served breakfast to homeless
people so lots of people believed
the new year. “We are aware of this post. This it was genuine and they shared
The post went viral, with has been investigated and it in good faith.
many people believing it was there is no truth in the claim.” “But it’s fake.
genuine and expressing shock The council said it has contac- “A guy with right-wing views
that a homeless person could ted a number of groups that then shared it and that got it
be left to die on the streets. shared the post in good faith to spread round even more –
Others shared it complaining though a lot of people did chal-
that the country was spending lenge him and a lot of the posts
❝
huge sums of money on foreign The guy in the got taken down.
aid while rough sleeping was “The guy in the picture is 100
such a big issue at home. picture is 100 per per cent homeless. We know
Others, however, questioned cent homeless. We know him.
the validity of the post because “He’s not dead, though. We’ve
it contained no precise details him He’s not dead, seen him about.
about where and when the man though. We’ve seen him “It just goes to show how easy
was supposed to have died. it is for false stuff to be shared
Others also questioned
about on social media and why you
whether such an image should Arif Voraji have to be careful with it.”
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