Today in FFS news: it looks like metal ‘anti-homeless’ spikes have been installed outside a flat complex in London to deter people from sleeping in the entrance alcove. Nice. Way to look out for people in an already shitty situation guys.
Andrew Horton, a 33 year-old from Woking, took a picture of the studs outside the privately owned flats on Southwark Bridge Road as he walked to work on Wednesday. He posted the pictures on Twitter because, as he explained to The Telegraph:
‘I can't say for certain but it certainly looked like they were placed there to deter homeless people. It's dreadful.’
The picture has understandably been circulating rapidly on social media, with many people expressing their disgust at the studs.
User @CraigMcVegas said: ‘A society should be judged on how it treats its most vulnerable’ adding the studs were ‘barbarism’ with @pinky_mttm adding ‘because spikes are the solution to homelessness, right? Nice work #not’
Katharine Sacks-Jones, head of policy and spokesperson and campaigns at homeless charity Crisissaid:
‘It is a scandal that anyone should sleep on the streets in 21st century Britain. Yet over the last three years rough sleeping has risen steeply across the country and by a massive 75 per cent in London.
‘Behind these numbers are real people struggling with a lack of housing, cuts to benefits and cuts to homelessness services to help them rebuild their lives.
‘They might have suffered a relationship breakdown, a bereavement or domestic abuse. They deserve better than to be moved on to the next doorway along the street. We will never tackle rough sleeping with studs in the pavement. Instead we must deal with the causes.’
For what it’s worth, Southwark council have denied any involvement the installment of the spikes and have said that the method has never been used by them to prevent people sleeping rough. Still, it’s a pretty grim representation about how a few thoughtless people treat the destitute and some of the most vulnerable members of society isn’t it? Hopefully, with the added pressure brought on by the interest in the pictures on social media, these spikes and others like them will have to be removed and soon.
Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophiecullinane
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.