Council criticised over 'anti-homeless' benches

The shelters are located in a popular spot close to Redcar's beach

A council has been criticised for paying £4,000 to add "anti-homeless" furniture to its seaside shelters.

Redcar Borough Council has added arm rests to benches in shelters along the town's seafront.

Council leader Alec Brown said the new design was necessary to discourage people from sleeping rough and using drugs there.

But councillor Chris Jones called the move a "blinkered solution to a more complex problem".

"I feel the adaptations were a knee-jerk reaction," he said.

"They look terrible and such anti-homeless architecture is insensitive."

Mr Jones said the town needed "drug-taking, alcohol-swigging, aggressive begging, shoplifting anti-social individuals" moving from the sea front because they were damaging the reputation of the town.

"I was calling for action," he said. "But level-headed, planned, constructive action to remove the individuals from the shelters and provide a path to rehabilitation, mental health support and possibly into some kind of supported accommodation."

Mr Jones said the partitions also "discriminate against larger people" who could risk having to be cut free by the fire brigade.

Protecting people

Mr Brown said spending on the arm rests equated to £100 for each and contrasted it with the daily expense of cleaning up drug paraphernalia from the shelters.

He accused his fellow councillor of using the situation to score political points.

"It wasn't a knee-jerk reaction, for months and months we were out there offering help," Mr Brown told the Local Democracy Service.

"We had to act because it is summer season, we can’t have people coming into contact with needles and blood.

"Am I happy that we have taken steps to protect people from potential infection and children coming into contact with needles? Yes I am.

"Anybody out there with common sense will share this view."