Homeless community asked to leave town-centre camp

A letter from East Sussex County Council was handed to each of the site’s inhabitants, giving them until July 4 to move on.

The derelict land behind the police station is overgrown and has attracted people living on the streets in recent months.

Ten people set up tents in the abandoned car park on Union Place, men and women of varying ages, including some with full-time jobs.

Terri Putland, 36, who has lived at the site on Union Place for several weeks, used to volunteer at The Ark homeless shelter in Littlehampton.

Terri said: “I don’t know where we’ll go. We’ll end up having to go down to the seafront again.”

According to Terri, the seafront is unsafe for homeless people and she said she was attacked and sexually assaulted while living there.

Graham Byrne, 43, has been sleeping rough on-and-off for the past six months and, like many of Worthing’s homeless, has spent time at St Clare’s day centre, on Marine Place, Worthing, which 
is run by Worthing Churches Homeless Projects (WCHP).

For the full story see the Worthing Herald, out Thursday, July 11.