The scaffolding in Camden High Street

ROUGH sleepers have resorted to spending nights on scaffolding and in other dangerous spots in the search for cover as the wintry temperatures kick in ahead of Christmas.

Two people with nowhere else to go lived above the ground on a walkway of wood and metal one storey above bustling Camden High Street for three weeks.

They left the scaffolding, which wraps around the construction of a new hotel, at the end of November after being told the structure could collapse on top of them.

Site manager Chris McEvoy told the New Journal: “The scaffolding could have come down on them while they were sleeping on it. I told the guy, ‘What you’re sitting on is dangerous. It’s not designed for it’, so he got up and ran off.” In other cases, residents are finding people in bin sheds.

Rachel Cullen, manager at Kentish Town-based charity The Simon Community, said that rough sleepers staying in precarious places was “certainly nothing new” – but could increase as people look to avoid busy places during World Cup screenings and Christmas parties. Homeless people try to avoid the crowds and possible drunken abuse.

“If the dangers of sleeping up scaffolding outweigh the dangers of being beaten up on the ground then I suppose people are making those decisions,” said Ms Cullen.

“Sleeping out is very dangerous. Things are different when, for example, there’s a big football match on, in the same way that domestic violence increases around those times, so does violence in the street. You don’t want to be sleeping on the floor there, very vulnerable, when there’s lots of really drunk people around.”

She added: “People will interfere with you in some way or another, whether they’re stopping to tell you what they think of your situation or physically waking you up. If people stay out of the way then they don’t want to be disturbed when they’re sleeping, and who does? During England games, people in central London tend to put themselves out of the way a bit more and that’s quite common.”

While hostel beds are offered by the council’s outreach team to those sleeping rough, Ms Cullen explained how hostels are “not available to everyone”, adding: “There are more people wanting to get in who are not able to, than there are who could get in that are choosing not to.”

Even those who are able to access hostels fear the violence and addiction inside some of them. Yesterday (Wednesday), the SWEP (Severe Weather Emergency Protocol) was triggered by London Mayor Sadiq Khan – which means temperatures have dropped below zero degrees at night and authorities should provide emergency accommodation for the homeless.

One man who has been sleeping rough around Camden for 25 years, and who did not want to be named, told the New Journal: “Routes Off The Streets [a council-commissioned support programme] do their best, but doing their best and doing what is right are two different things.

“They should stop and think: ‘Are we going to put these people into a place full of drugs and alcohol?’ It’s a very unsafe environment because they’re addicts inside and they think you’ve got money, even though you haven’t.”

Charlie, a rough sleeper in Camden Town, said hostels were “full of drug addicts” and last time he stayed in one in Holloway his trainers were stolen.

“I just want to go somewhere safe,” he said.

The most recent data shows that from July to September, Camden had the second-highest number of rough sleepers in London after Westminster. There were 261 rough sleepers recorded in the borough, an increase of 34 people compared to the same period last year.

A council spokesperson said: “Nothing is more important to us than the welfare, safety and rights of every homeless person we support. The evidence shows our support to rough sleepers through our Routes off the Street (RTS) approach and hostel pathway is resulting in better outcomes for homeless people, including helping them move on to independent living away from the streets.”

On the SWEP provision during the icy weather this week, deputy council leader Labour councillor Pat Callaghan said: “We will bring people sleeping rough in Camden out of the cold and give them somewhere safe and warm to stay.”

She added: “Residents can play a crucial role here by letting us know if they see someone who is still sleeping rough.

“To do so, please call our 24/7 number 020 7846 3535 or notify us via the app. Please do share the exact location of the person rough sleeping, so our outreach team knows exactly where to find them.”

Some homeless campaigners say that anybody using this service should get consent from the person they are calling about.