Oxford homeless people threatened with £2,500 fine for 'detrimental' presence

Homeless people who keep possessions in doorways in Oxford have been threatened with £2,500 fines for having a “detrimental” impact on the area.

Notices have been attached to their bags in the city centre which warn that they are committing an offence and may be prosecuted.

Oxford City Council claimed the bags block exits and can create fire hazards, while there are lockers available to those who want them.

The notice states: “Oxford City Council is satisfied that your conduct is having a detrimental effect, of a persistent or continuing nature on the quality of life of those in the locality and that your conduct is unreasonable."

It goes on to say that if convicted the maximum penalty is a fine of £2,500.

The council said those issued with notices had two days to collect their belongings. Everything was taken by the owners except "a soiled duvet and pieces of cardboard" – which were then removed, according to the council.

Green Party councillor David Thomas criticised the notices and called for Lucy Faithfull House, a homeless shelter closed last year due to funding problems, to be reopened.

He said: "This move by the council is totally outrageous. There's a perfectly good homeless hostel in the city centre that the Council refuses to re-open, instead forcing men and women to sleep rough and keep their belongings safe the best way they can.

“This is not the first time the Council has used anti-social legislation to intimidate the homeless, but threatening them with fines and a criminal record for having nowhere else to sleep is a new low."

An Oxford City Council spokesperson told the Standard: “This is a fire safety issue. Bags had been left outside a city centre shop for more than a year. We asked the owners of the bags on numerous occasions not to obstruct the fire escape.

"Work recently began on the refurbishment of the shop and the City Council was asked by the building company to assist in the removal of the bags because they were blocking fire exit routes, therefore posing a risk to those working inside.

"We take this national homelessness tragedy that is playing out on the streets of our city very seriously; we are very aware of the circumstances of the people on the streets of Oxford, the risks they face and their support needs, and work very hard with our partners so that no one should have to be homeless.

"On this occasion we had to balance the desire for people to leave their possessions in a fire escape with the risk this posed to the people working in the building."