Lush sorry for boarding doorway where homeless slept

Lush said the boards outside the entrance to its empty shop on Cornmarket Street would be removed immediately

Cosmetics retailer Lush has apologised for boarding up one of its stores amid criticism it would stop homeless people sleeping in the doorway.

Boards were placed outside Lush and Next in Oxford's Cornmarket Street after the retailers moved out.

David Thomas, leader of the city council's Green Party group, said the move was "heartless".

Lush said it was "an error", while the landlord of the Next building said homeless people were not targeted.

Mr Thomas said: "The landlords of these premises should be ashamed of themselves.

"No-one would argue that sleeping in a doorway is ideal, but these men and women at the moment have no alternative."

Jesus College owns the Next premises but said homeless people had not been targeted

Lush said the hoarding was put up following an email from Oxford City Centre Management which said a large number of complaints were being received about homeless people setting up camp in the doorway.

The company said the message informed Lush it was responsible for the premises until its lease runs out in January.

However, Oxford City Council has said "neither Lush nor Jesus College" were instructed to board up their doorways.

Tim Sadler, council executive director, said it spoke to Lush and Jesus College about "serious concerns raised by members of the public about drug taking and used needles being found on their private land".

He said they suggested taking injunctions out against individuals committing the offences "to stop them from taking drugs or discarding needles on the organisations' property".

David Stevenson, property manager at Jesus College, a University of Oxford college which owns the Next building, said the boarding was "not a deliberate attempt to get at" homeless people.

"That's not what we had in mind." he added.

Lush apologised to homeless people in Oxford and said the hoarding would be removed.