THE leader of a Worcester hostel for the homeless has called for people in the city to work together to help rough sleepers or more nuisance camps could spring up.

Jonathan Sutton, chief executive of St Paul’s Hostel, says the people of Worcester must not give up on rough sleepers on a ‘cliff edge’ and also slammed shops that sold ‘cheap, brain-liquefying booze’ to homeless people living on city streets.

Mr Sutton believes the city could better pool its resources to help rough sleepers, many of whom are living with mental health problems or dealing with the consequences of a legacy of childhood abuse, neglect and poor parenting which left them deeply mistrustful of others.

We reported last week how police issued four rough sleepers with dispersal notices and dismantled a makeshift camp on an area of grass in front of Shrub Hill Railway Station, not far from St Paul’s Hostel.

The police's actions were in response to around 20 complaints about the camp.

Officers from West Mercia Police began issuing the section 35 notices at 3pm last Wednesday and packed up the camp which included three mattresses, a crate which was being used as a table, blankets and beer cans ready for Worcester City Council to dispose of.

Concerns were raised about anti-social behaviour and assaults at the camp and that the area had been used as a toilet.

Police said last week they were also investigating an incident of suspected grievous bodily harm which took place nearby.

It was felt by those who complained about the camp, which included members of the public and businesses, that it created a bad impression of the city, especially as the railway station remains one of Worcester's key gateways.

PC Mark Broughton of West Mercia Police said: “We issued four notices at the time and this excluded those four for 48 hours. One was offered (and accepted) temporary accommodation in Kidderminster. The others did not return within the 48 hours.”

Jonathan Sutton, chief executive of St Paul’s Hostel in Worcester, said: “Rough sleeping is the acute, visible and very difficult end of homelessness.

“At least one of the people at the camp had had a long term place at St Paul’s with access to support and counselling but unexpectedly left.

“Shops that sell cheap, brain-liquefying booze to intoxicated drinkers are not helping and I hope they will stop.

"Support and advice sounds perfect doesn’t it but it fails to understand the nature of the problem; rough sleeping is the nexus of addiction, mental health conditions, often the legacies of childhood abuse, poor parenting or less than perfect care services that leave people full of shame and deeply mistrusting of others.

“We cannot give up on people – tough though this work is - perhaps resources can be pooled more creatively to create efficient service for those living on this cliff edge, otherwise residents and tourists might have to get used to camps like this.”