Illegal Homeless Camp at Swan Square Removed

Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Environmental Crime Unit (ECU) and Staffordshire Police have cleared an illegal homeless camp situated on the doorway of Swan Square in Burslem.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Environmental Crime Unit (ECU) and Staffordshire Police have cleared an illegal homeless camp situated on the doorway of a former restaurant in Swan Square in Burslem.

In recent times, however, the building was identified as a hotspot for rough sleepers to gather and camp out without receiving permission from the owners to do so. The set-up of this illegal homeless encampment in the doorway of a fomer restaurant in Swan Square has caused fear in the local area.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Environmental Crime Unit (ECU) aims to reduce and remove situations involving crime that damages the local area. This includes tackling any ongoing antisocial behaviour, as well as making the area safer and cleaner for all residents.

As part of this, the ECU has worked closely with Staffordshire Police on the Making Great Places project, and this partnership has specifically focused on shutting down the illegal homelessness encampments at Tunstall Memorial Gardens.

Now, the ECU and Staffordshire Police have removed the illegal homelessness camp at Swan Square. They jointly issued a Community Protection Warning (CPW) to the group occupying the area so that they do not return to the site, with council support offered. UPSPF cleaning staff were also on hand to clear the doorway.

Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for planning and housing, said: "We are greatly appreciative of the work carried out by the ECU and Staffordshire Police. Illegal homeless encampments represent a threat to the local community and are not the correct way to tackle the profoundly serious issue of homelessness.

"It's imperative for these illegal camps to be removed and make our streets safer for residents, so we thank the ECU and Staffordshire Police for intervening to remove the encampment at Swan Square.

"We must stress that the council has support in place to appropriately help homeless people. If you need emergency help, please call 01782 233696 during office hours, or alternatively please call 01782 234234 outside of office hours. You can also call our Rough Sleepers team for free on 0800 970 2304."

Chief Superintendent for Stoke-on-Trent, Elliott Sharrard-Williams, said: “We continue to combat crime and anti-social behaviour across the city through our Making Great Places project.

“Our vision is to create a healthier, wealthier, safer, greener, cleaner and fairer city for all, and a big part of this is about making people feel safe where they live.

“This includes working closely with partner agencies to help vulnerable residents in our communities and ensure those who need assistance are receiving it.

“I’m pleased we have been able to work alongside the City Council to tackle this issue and hopefully allow local residents to feel safer in their neighbourhood.”