Rough sleepers evicted from 'tent city' in Manchester

Clean up: Rough sleepers evicted from Manchester's 'tent city' Credit: MEN Syndication

Rough sleepers have spoken out after being evicted from the city centre site known as ‘tent city’ after university bosses called in bailiffs to take action.

Police and county court officers arrived at the London Road site at around 7.30am on Wednesday morning to evict around 10 people from the university land.

Street cleaners quickly moved in to clear away dozens of tents, mattresses and clothes, as well as syringes, broken glass and faeces.

Rough sleepers are evicted Credit: MEN Syndication

Paramedics were also called to the scene to assist a woman living in a tent who needed medical attention.

Those living at the site were given some time to gather what few possessions they had before leaving after Manchester University gained a possession order for the site behind the campus’ Morton Building.

Mess: The rough sleepers took what belongings they had with them Credit: MEN Syndication

At its height, more than 40 people were living in the encampment - which is directly opposite the Macdonald Hotel.

Outreach workers from Manchester Council’s rough sleepers team were at the site to offer temporary accommodation to those in need.

So far only two have accepted the offer, including Martyn Clarke, who moved into the camp at Christmas to be closer to his girlfriend while she serves a sentence at Styal Prison.

Martyn, 35, said he did not agree with the ‘brutal’ way in which the rough sleepers were evicted but he was keen to accept the offer of a place to stay.He said:

Martyn, from Guernsey, was sleeping rough in Preston but moved to Manchester seven months ago to be near his girlfriend.

He said life in tent city was tough and fights would often break out, sometimes several times a night.

He added:

Outreach worker Karl Roberts, from the council’s rough sleepers team, said one of the biggest challenges was in trying to get people at the camp to accept help.

He said:

City Centre Inspector Phil Spurgeon said officers have been working closely with the university and the city council to help those living at the camp.He said:

Within two hours of the eviction, temporary fencing was installed around the university land to prevent further occupation.

A Manchester University spokesman said: