Rough sleeper camps removed in council crackdown

The council leader said the encampments were a problem for homeless people and nearby residents

Six rough sleeper encampments have been removed by council workers over the past fortnight, the authority's leader has said.

Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said it would continue to take action with Staffordshire Police.

Councillor Ashworth told a council meeting that while the approach might appear "harsh", the encampments were bad for both homeless people and for nearby residents.

She said the council would continue to offer support to help rough sleepers into accommodation.

"We continue to have a challenging problem of unauthorised rough sleeping encampments that spring up here and there across the city," she said.

"It's not right for the people who are forced to dwell in them and it's not right for the people who live nearby."

She added: "You may think it harsh, but we've cleared away six of them in a single fortnight and we will continue to do so.

"I know they are some of our most vulnerable citizens and we do have an offer, that is a good offer, to help them get back inside a safe, warm place while they work with us to get themselves a proper tenancy and into a situation where they can be good neighbours."

Earlier this year, the council approved £1.8 million of funding for services supporting rough sleepers in 2025-26, including shelters, temporary accommodation and healthcare.

The authority's rough sleeper service had 65 people on its books in April, with nearly a third being women.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.