People sleeping rough in Liverpool city centre have been told to pack up.
Notices were posted to tents on Lord Street and Church Street by Liverpool City Council’s Highways Department giving seven days’ warning to vacate.
Those currently in the temporary shelters risk losing them if they fail to adhere to the local authority’s ruling that they are ‘an obstruction and a nuisance’.
Ed Fryer, 49, was among those served with the notices on Tuesday and currently resides in a tent in the affected area with his two dogs.
“I’ve had about 20 tents taken. The council keeps taking them,” he told the Liverpool Echo.
“They give you seven days and after that they take it to court.
“You don’t appear in court, but after that they come back with another one of these (letters), and a few days later they take your tent.
It leaves me without a tent with the two dogs out here. Everything is soaking wet already because of the rain. So it’s not great.
“But it’s the only little bit of shelter I’ve got. I’m not bothered about myself but it’s my dogs, they’re my babies. If it didn’t have them I’d have nothing.
“As soon as your back’s turned, I can’t even go to the toilet without fear of having my tent taken, and all my belongings.
“I keep saying there’s only one way from here and that’s up. But it’s not because they keep trying to push us down further.
“It’s like I’ve been thrown in the Mersey and someone’s got their foot down on my head. That’s how it feels.”
A council spokesperson defended the move claiming it ‘will take appropriate action as needed’ if tents obstruct public highways or emergency exits of buildings.