The London borough that has turned homeless people into 'criminals'
Those caught rough sleeping and begging can be fined up to £1000 in Hackney
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Homeless people face being criminalised in an east London borough due to a ban on anti-social behaviour, a charity has warned.
Under the new Public Space Protection Order in force in Hackney, police and council officers have the power to stop activities deemed anti-social - including begging and sleeping rough.
Those who are found to be breaking the rules could be handed a £100 fixed penalty notice, or fined as much as £1,000.
Hackney Downs, London Fields, Broadway Market, Mare Street and Regents Canal are all covered by the order.
Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of national homelessness charity Crisis, told The Hackney Citizen: “Any moves to ban and criminalise rough sleeping will be counter-productive and only make it harder for people to access the dedicated support they need to move away from the streets for good.”
However, councillor Sophie Linden, Deputy Mayor, defended the decision. She told the website: “We introduced this order after trying for months to deal with anti-social behaviour in the area – including offering support, housing and advice to those that are persistently sleeping rough.
“Enforcement action will always be the last resort. We will continue to make sure anyone who is sleeping rough is offered professional help and support.”
Her comments come after research revealed that a third of Londoners do not earn enough to afford a decent standard of living, and a person would need to ear £27,000 a year to comfortably rent a flat in the capital.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments