After another person died in a tent on the streets of Liverpool, a homeless campaigner has spoken out of the dangers involved.
Mayor Joe Anderson prompted plenty of debate on Friday when he said his council teams would be removing tents from the streets of the city - and offering those using them safe shelter and support instead.
The mayor said the deaths this year of Aimee Teese and Richard Kehoe mean he thinks a 'tough love' approach is now needed and said he is not prepared to allow anyone else to die behind the cover of a tent in Liverpool.
Some disagreed with the mayor and accused him of discriminating against the homeless.
But Michelle Langan - who set up and has run the Papercup homeless charity for several years - says the Mayor is right to take a strong stance against tents.
Michelle said: "On Monday evening as I headed into town I saw three tents in different doorways of Lewis’s. What struck me was how nobody gave any of the tents a second look. It’s normal. We have become desensitized. My heart sinks each time I see a tent in town.
"Earlier this year, a young woman, Aimee Teese, a friend of ours, was found dead in a tent near Eldon Grove. On Tuesday, another man, Richard Kehoe, was found dead inside a tent near The Royal. He was just 40.
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"One death on the streets is too many, but two deaths within months is unforgivable. Both were found inside tents. A tent might be temporary shelter, but it’s also a place where someone is hidden from plain sight. Out of sight and out of mind.
"Tents are not a way to resolve homelessness. People might think they are helping by giving tents out. I know that the council had removed the tents by The Royal, and were trying to help the men sleeping there to get back inside. They need support, assistance, and a permanent shelter.
"The tent hadn’t been gone for long before some well meaning person had replaced it. Our team are often asked for tents, but we won’t give them out."
Michelle says other tent removals have achieved happier results, explaining: "One lady we know who had been offered help over a long time, finally went into a house and rehab when a group of tents that she was staying in was taken away. For someone who had been an entrenched rough sleeper for years, this was huge."
She added: "The more tents that pop up, the more we are failing.
"Giving someone a tent is not offering them a lifeline. If they collapse or need help, they can’t be seen.
"A tent is a sticking plaster. A short term fix that can prove to be dangerous. What we need is the support to make people feel ready to engage and get back inside. We need social care, housing and wrap around support. We do things better in Liverpool - our city is leading the way in tackling homelessness and the answer doesn’t lie under a canvas.
Revealing some of the worrying accounts she has heard from those on the streets, she said: "If people heard the stories we hear they may feel differently.
"Women are open to sexual attacks, people get robbed, and one man was even set on fire. There are enough hate crimes against the homeless without making them even more exposed and vulnerable."
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Michelle doesn't fully agree with the 'tough love' terminology used by Mayor Anderson.
She added: "Help people - be kind to them, chat to them, give them socks or a cup of tea or a pasty.
"Just don't give them a tent, as it isn't a solution. We've already lost two of our homeless this year. Let's not make it a third. Let's get rid of tents and get people the proper support they need."
