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| 'Anti-homeless spikes' outside London flats spark outrage on Twitter | 'Anti-homeless spikes' outside London flats spark outrage on Twitter |
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| Metal spikes many believe have been installed to deter homeless people from sleeping in an alcove outside a block of flats in London have sparked outrage on Twitter, after pictures of the building went viral. | Metal spikes many believe have been installed to deter homeless people from sleeping in an alcove outside a block of flats in London have sparked outrage on Twitter, after pictures of the building went viral. |
| Andrew Horton, 33, of Woking, Surrey, took a picture of the studs outside of the block of privately-owned flats on Southwark Bridge Road in the borough of Southwark as he walked to work on Wednesday. | Andrew Horton, 33, of Woking, Surrey, took a picture of the studs outside of the block of privately-owned flats on Southwark Bridge Road in the borough of Southwark as he walked to work on Wednesday. |
| Mr Horton told The Telegraph he believed the studs have been put in place to prevent homeless people from sleeping there. | Mr Horton told The Telegraph he believed the studs have been put in place to prevent homeless people from sleeping there. |
| "I can't say for certain but it certainly looked like they were placed there to deter homeless people. It's dreadful.” | "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 been circulating rapidly across social media, with many expressing their disgust and outrage at the studs. | The picture has been circulating rapidly across social media, with many expressing their disgust and outrage at the studs. |
| User @CraigMcVegas described them as "barbarism", adding: "A society should be judged on how it treats its most vulnerable." David Wells compared them to spikes used to prevent pigeons from resting on buildings, tweeting: "the destitute now considered vermin". | User @CraigMcVegas described them as "barbarism", adding: "A society should be judged on how it treats its most vulnerable." David Wells compared them to spikes used to prevent pigeons from resting on buildings, tweeting: "the destitute now considered vermin". |
| Is that where we are now in Britain? "How can we rid ourselves of the problem of homelessness?" - "Little spikes in the ground?" - "Genius!" | Is that where we are now in Britain? "How can we rid ourselves of the problem of homelessness?" - "Little spikes in the ground?" - "Genius!" |
| Because spikes are the solution to homelessness, right? Nice work #not | Because spikes are the solution to homelessness, right? Nice work #not |
| ANTI-HOMELESS SPIKES in London to deter rough sleepers. pic.twitter.com/uy4RReY6FD (via @jackiHS)” | ANTI-HOMELESS SPIKES in London to deter rough sleepers. pic.twitter.com/uy4RReY6FD (via @jackiHS)” |
| A spokesperson for Southwark Council said it had not implemented the studs, and had never used such a system to deter homeless people from sleeping in similar areas. | A spokesperson for Southwark Council said it had not implemented the studs, and had never used such a system to deter homeless people from sleeping in similar areas. |
| Katharine Sacks-Jones, head of policy and campaigns at homelessness charity Crisis, said: "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. | Katharine Sacks-Jones, head of policy and campaigns at homelessness charity Crisis, said: "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. | "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." | "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." |
| READ NOW: The 'anti-homeless spikes' are just one part of a bleak tale for rough sleepers |