A HOMELESS man who lives under a railway bridge in Worcester says he will ‘die or go to jail’ if he is forced to move from the encampment.

The 34-year-old Slovakian, who wished to be known only as Martin, said he and many of the people who lived in his community had been ‘thrown out’ of other places, including St Paul’s Hostel in Worcester. He said the hostel, based in Tallow Hill, would no longer accept members of the group.

Martin, who is not on any housing waiting lists, said members of the community who had been at the location a few weeks had also been threatened with deportation by police. He said: “There are not many places left for us to go. If they throw us out of here, I can’t imagine what we’re going to do. Either we’re going to end up in jail or we will die.”

We reported in yesterday’s Worcester News how the camp had tents, shelves, washing lines, wall clocks and other features you would expect to find it an ordinary home.

Martin said there are nine people living under the archway from several countries, including the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia.

The people living under the arch are aged between 21 and 50. They are now not allowing any new people to join the camp and said they had ‘thrown the bad people out’. They get food from a food bank.

Martin refuted claims the group were using bushes as toilets, saying they used facilities at McDonald's or Maggs Day Centre.

Martin, who lived at St Paul’s Hostel for two years and is now sober after giving up alcohol, said: “We are being treated like animals. I asked the police where are we supposed to go? They said ‘I don’t care.

You’re a big boy – go where you want’. Not everyone can be fortunate enough to have a job and a good life.

There are plenty of people like us in Worcester, English people.”

Martin, who left Slovakia 20 years ago, has lived in Worcester for eight years.

St Paul’s Hostel was unavailable for comment at the time your Worcester News went to press.

A spokesman for British Transport Police said: “BTP officers have been made aware of the issue at Hylton Road and are liaising with rail industry colleagues and the local community to establish whether any offences have taken place.”