Members of Streetwise Opera

FOUR men who died in the past year while sleeping on the streets of Camden were honoured at a church memorial service that marked the passing of more than 160 homeless men and women.

The Reverend Richard Carter

At a moving service at St Martin in the Fields in Trafalgar Square on Thursday, the Reverend Richard Carter told a packed congregation: “The length of the list powerfully symbolises the struggles for many in London today, how easy it is to become homeless, and how incredibly difficult it is in this capital city to find an affordable home.” The name of every homeless, or formerly homeless, person who died in the capital in the past 12 months was read aloud.

A pause for thought at St Martins In The Fields

Among them were Steve Percival, 53, Tom Palmer, 28, Dmitrijs Makejevs, 23, and Lawley Gibbs, 39.

The death of Mr Percival, a popular Big Issue seller, in Camden Town in July led to protests organised under the banner of “no more deaths on our streets”.

Mr Carter said the service “celebrates the giftedness and potential” of homeless people. It included performances from The Choir with No Name and Streetwise Opera – both groups featuring former rough sleepers.

He said: “As we all know, sleeping rough can be very detrimental to people’s physical and mental health, meaning that the average age of death for someone on the streets is just 47, instead of 77 for the general population.

“Today’s service remembers all those who have died homeless and those to whom we must long to restore the hope and dignity, respect and justice that every human being deserves.”

The lives of four rough sleepers who died in Camden

Steve Percival, 53

A much-loved Big Issue seller, Mr Percival was a familiar face to many around his pitch outside Whole Foods store in Parkway. He was known to many as a “Geordie Steve”, having moved to London from Newcastle, and often carried a toy teddy bear.

He would entertain potential customers with a poetry recital, most notably “Babes in the Wood”. A candlelit vigil was held in Britannia Junction after his death, when friends paid tribute to a “loveable guy” and a “gentleman”. He was found dead in the doorway of NatWest bank in Greenland Road on July 7.

Tom Palmer, 28

A prolific activist and stalwart of the Occupy London movement, Mr Palmer took part in some of the most high-profile protests. He was described as a “musician, artist, poet, anarchist, activist, victim and fellow Occupier.

Someone that could have changed the world.” Fellow activist Janie Mac said he was “super intelligent”, adding: “His poetry and narrative of life was sometimes bordering on genius.” Isobel Williams, an artist who met Mr Palmer at the Occupy protests, said: “Tom was beautiful, highly intelligent, musical, raffish, playful, intuitive, funny, inventive, charming and well brought up.” He died on August 22.

Dmitrijs Makejevs, 23

A comic book fan and keen computer gamer, Mr Makejevs made a lasting impression on those he met. Dr John Dunn, of the Margarete Centre, said: “We all felt a great affection for Dmitrijs. He had attended the Margarete Centre almost daily and we had become very attached to him.”

One friend said: “He never did any harm to anyone. He would come to the centre, get a cup of tea and play computer games.” Latvian-born Mr Makejevs had a fascination with comic book heroes and graphic novels that began as a child.  He was found dead on a mattress at the former BP station in Hampstead Road on March 31.

Lawley Gibbs, 39

The son of a minister who worked with drug addicts in his native South Africa, Mr Gibbs collapsed outside the HSBC bank in Camden Town in February and later died in hospital. He had been in and out of hostels after arriving in Camden aged 30.

His father told an inquest that his son had been anti-drugs as a teenager but got hooked on them as young man. The New Journal reported how he had been brought back to life by passing paramedics.