Liverpool Council is set to remove and dispose of a tent in the city centre where a man is currently living.
The council has served two court orders on two people currently living in tents in the city centre. One of those tents has been in place on land opposite Liverpool Central station for a number of weeks, while the other has been erected at the side of The Strand for some time.
The council says it has offered assistance to the occupants living in both tents but say that help has been turned down. A council spokesperson said both occupants have been urged to return to their accommodation in a neighbouring authority.
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But one man, who is currently living in the tent near The Strand told the ECHO that he cannot return to his accommodation for safety reasons,
Asking only to be referred to his nickname of 'Spiderman,' the man said he has been living in the tent in this area for the past 12 weeks having previously been sleeping rough elsewhere in the city centre and in another borough. He said he was living in accommodation in another Merseyside borough but had to leave over safety concerns.
He has now been served with a Removal and Disposal Order obtained from the courts by Liverpool City Council. The order states that the council has authority to remove and dispose of the tent and that it will be removed if it remains on the highway within Liverpool after March 24.
'Spiderman' said he believes the patch of land he is currently living on is actually private land, but the council insists it is public.
He said: "I think they are doing this because of Eurovision and all the tourists coming to Liverpool. But I have had enough and I am fighting back. Spiderman is going to crawl up the Cunard Building and tell them what time it is."
He added: "I'm not a bad person, I keep this area clean, I talk to people. I want to be re-housed properly. I can't go back to my accommodation. I haven't been protected."
A spokesperson for Liverpool City Council said: “The city council and our partners always offer assistance to any rough sleeper, as often they will be experiencing significant physical and mental health issues.
“However, in these cases, the individuals have unfortunately refused that help as well as repeated asks to return to their accommodation in a neighbouring authority.
“As a result, the council has been left with no other alternative than to seek a Court order to remove these tents, which are also on the public highway, to safeguard the individuals themselves and the public.
“The council, our other local authority colleagues and both individuals’ housing provider will continue to attempt to offer assistance and support to these individuals.”
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