Cheshire East residents have been advised to contact the council if they come across someone sleeping rough.
The guidance came from Coun Michael Unett of Alsager Town Council after he was approached with concerns over homeless people drinking alcohol, “getting lairy” and using drugs in a public toilet in the town centre.
As reported in our Alsager edition this week, resident Lorraine Standring found a bag filled with clothes, used syringes and other drug paraphernalia stashed under a bush near to a busy crossing, which had to be disposed of by trained staff at a nearby pharmacy.
Speaking to the “Chronicle” the following day, she said: “My worry was that a kid could have found it and put their hand in and been pricked by one of the syringes. They might be too scared to go home and tell their mum and dad. It doesn’t bear thinking about.”
She added: “Children need to be warned that if they find anything that doesn’t look right, they should tell an adult. Don’t investigate.”
Mrs Standring said she had approach Coun Unett after she saw five people with bags filled with old duvets and clothes drinking alcohol one morning outside St Mary’s Church on Crewe Road.
Gary Bray, manager of Asda in Alsager town centre, said three people had been sleeping outside the store for the past six weeks.
He said: “When they first appeared, they weren’t too bad and would move on when you asked but then I’ve had a few customers say they’re getting a bit lairy when you refuse to give them money or bring them out anything.”
He phoned the police last Wednesday after one man who had been sleeping outside was seen on cctv going into the public toilet inside the store.
Mr Bray said: “My colleague went in after he’d left. That was enough proof for the police that he’d done drugs in the toilet. It wasn’t a very pleasant sight, there was blood and needles and all sorts in there.
“We had to lock the toilets and follow the right procedures around needles, to have them cleaned. We didn’t reopen them until the following morning at about 11am.”
Intimidated
He said staff felt “intimidated” when opening the store at 5am, and performing their usual tasks outside such as cleaning the windows early in the morning.
He said: “The lovely people of Alsager have been giving them money, drinks and food. They’ve told us that they can easily get on the train from Stoke to Alsager without anybody checking their tickets, and Alsager being a nice town where the people are nice, they come here.”
Speaking during a recent Alsager Town Council Planning, Environment and Community Committee meeting, Coun Steve Butterfield said he had been contacted by a resident concerned about the rough sleepers.
He said he had reported it to PCSO Oli Branfield, who serves the town.
Coun Unett said he had also been contacted by a resident at his councillor’s surgery last Wednesday.
He said: “The advice to give residents is that they need to report it to the outreach team at Cheshire East. They will come out and see if the person needs any help or assistance.”
When the “Chronicle” asked Cheshire East to comment, it pointed to a page dedicated to advice on rough sleepers on its website.
It says: “We encourage you to let us know as soon as possible if you encounter someone who you believe is sleeping outside. It is not necessary to approach the individual in question.
“Cheshire East Council has committed to end rough sleeping across the borough within our housing strategy. This commitment follows an acknowledgement that rough sleeping has increased over the last few years particularly in our main towns.
“Our rough sleeping team will investigate and attempt to assist anyone found to be sleeping outside, but we have no powers of removal. We must act within current legislation, meaning there are some people we legally cannot help.”
A spokesperson for Cheshire Police said: “We would advise that (residents) don’t pick up needles and report any waste to Cheshire East Council Environmental Heath team.
“If there is anti-social behaviour or a crime being committed, then contact police on 101 or visit cheshire.police.uk/tell-us.”
The police and borough council said residents should contact Cheshire East’s housing options team if they find someone who appears to be homeless, on 0300 123 5017.
