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| The London borough that has turned homeless people into 'criminals' | The London borough that has turned homeless people into 'criminals' |
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| Homeless people face being criminalised in a east London borough due to a ban on anti-social behaviour, a charity has warned. | |
| Under the new Public Space Protection Order in force in Hackney, police and council officers can order people to stop activities deemed anti-social - including begging and sleeping rough. | Under the new Public Space Protection Order in force in Hackney, police and council officers can order people to stop activities deemed anti-social - including begging and sleeping rough. |
| Hackney Downs, London Fields, Broadway Market, Mare Street and Regents Canal are all covered by the order. | Hackney Downs, London Fields, Broadway Market, Mare Street and Regents Canal are all covered by the order. |
| Those who are found to be breaking the rules could be handed a £100 fixed penalty notice, or fined as much as £1,000. | Those who are found to be breaking the rules could be handed a £100 fixed penalty notice, or fined as much as £1,000. |
| Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of national homelessness charity Crisis, told The Hackney Citizen: “Any moves to ban and criminalise rough sleeping will be counter-productive and only make it harder for people to access the dedicated support they need to move away from the streets for good.” | Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of national homelessness charity Crisis, told The Hackney Citizen: “Any moves to ban and criminalise rough sleeping will be counter-productive and only make it harder for people to access the dedicated support they need to move away from the streets for good.” |
| However, councillor Sophie Linden, Deputy Mayor, defended the decision. She told the website: “We introduced this order after trying for months to deal with anti-social behaviour in the area – including offering support, housing and advice to those that are persistently sleeping rough. | However, councillor Sophie Linden, Deputy Mayor, defended the decision. She told the website: “We introduced this order after trying for months to deal with anti-social behaviour in the area – including offering support, housing and advice to those that are persistently sleeping rough. |
| “Enforcement action will always be the last resort. We will continue to make sure anyone who is sleeping rough is offered professional help and support.” | “Enforcement action will always be the last resort. We will continue to make sure anyone who is sleeping rough is offered professional help and support.” |
| Her comments come after research revealed that a third of Londoners do not earn enough to afford a decent standard of living, and a person would need to ear £27,000 a year to comfortably rent a flat in the capital. | Her comments come after research revealed that a third of Londoners do not earn enough to afford a decent standard of living, and a person would need to ear £27,000 a year to comfortably rent a flat in the capital. |