A HOMELESS support service has slammed the council for “hiding the homeless away” after an eviction notice was served to people living in tents at a churchyard.
Slough Borough Council gave notice on April 27 to those pitched up at St Mary’s Church, in Slough, until May 3 to remove their tents and materials.
Slough Outreach, a community service that helps the homeless the community, said the council doing this was “not helpful” to those who need the help.
Founder of Slough Outreach Shin Dhother said: “No one from the council approached us at all about this so that we could help support these homeless people.
“It seems the council are hiding the homeless away but we need to work together to come up with a long-term solution for this.
"We need to help them rather than just temporary fixing the problem them having them back on the streets again.”
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The council said the eviction followed complaints about pitching of tents on graves, memorial plaques and monuments leaving residents unable to visit deceased relatives, human fouling, drug and alcohol use and uncontrolled fires.
They added any tents and materials still on site on May 3 would be removed and destroyed.
A council spokesperson said: “Our outreach team works closely with many of the local services who offer suitable, appropriate and professional support services for rough sleepers.
“The council’s outreach service had been working with the tent-dwellers at St Mary’s over many weeks and many of them had engaged with services and had been helped find suitable accommodation, so they were no longer living in the churchyard.”
The spokesperson explained those who were left “refused” to engage with others, the church and the other agencies who attempted to offer help and support.
“They told us and others (not very politely) that they did not want our help and did not and would not change their behaviour,” they said.
“They also attracted others to the area who were also antisocial and undertook some of the same behaviours.
“Unfortunately no one can help and support those who do not want help and support.”
The council said the notice served was a “last resort” and the decision wasn’t taken lightly.
They added: “However the continued behaviour, disrespect for the graveyard and church itself could not be allowed to continue.”
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They confirmed no one was there when they went to the churchyard yesterday (May 3) and cleared the tents and refuse on the premises.
Mr Dhother explained: “I genuinely don’t know what the outreach team at the council do and it seems like they just don’t care.
“They don’t provide an outreach service and we need a proper community service with practical solutions that help.
“We can’t come up with better solutions if we don’t work together and I want to talk to the council to discuss how we can actually fix the issue of homeless in Slough.”
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