An initial investigation has revealed that there was "operational involvement" from Camden Council when contractors were filmed throwing a homeless person's tent into a rubbish truck.
It followed a Metropolitan Police operation to remove the tents from private land outside University College Hospital London in Huntley Street.
A volunteer from homeless charity Streets Kitchen filmed as at least one tent was put into a waste truck on Friday afternoon (November 11).
The operation was condemned by Liberal Democrat councillor Matthew Kirk, who told colleagues at a culture and environment scrutiny committee on Monday (November 13) the action was “quite a concerning matter”.
Cllr Adam Harrison, who is deputy leader of the council, said Veolia waste collection services were arranged through the council and its rough sleeping support services were brought in.
He said: “It’s important to acknowledge what happened on Friday was unacceptable. We are sorry about this.”
Cllr Adam Harrison (Lab, Bloomsbury), cabinet member for a sustainable Camden. Photo: Camden Council
The council’s acting leader Patricia Callaghan has ordered an investigation into what happened.
Cllr Harrison said: “Here in Camden we want to put people at the heart of everything we do, but it is clear that something has gone wrong here.
“We can now share that initial investigations since the operation, have shown that there was operational involvement from Camden – what happened was unacceptable and doesn’t reflect the values we hold as a council. We will make sure this is clear and understood at every level of the organisation.”
Cllr Harrison said: “Whilst this dispersal order was applied for by University College Hospital London and enforced by the police, we acknowledge that waste collection services were arranged through the council and our rough sleeping support services were engaged to support people affected.”
Camden Council's waste collectors were seen putting the tents in a truck. Photo: Streets Kitchen/X
He added: “We are determined to make improvements to how rough sleepers are supported in the borough.”
The police said the move followed a request from the hospital’s security team after concerns that tents had been outside the hospital for up to nine months.
There were also reports of anti-social behaviour, including urination and defecation outside the hospital.
A Met Police spokesperson said allegations also included patients and staff being intimated or verbally abused by some of those begging and sleeping rough at the location.
People living in the tents were given two hours’ notice to move on Friday (10 November).
Police said: “All but one of those present left the site; some taking tents with them and some leaving them behind.”
A remaining man was arrested on suspicion of breaching a dispersal order.
The Met said tents that were left behind were removed.
“The personal belongings and the tent of the male who was arrested were not disposed of, since he was present at the location and thus his items hadn’t been abandoned.”
It comes after the former Home Secretary Suella Braverman said rough sleepers in tents had made “a lifestyle choice”.
London has also recorded the highest quarterly number of rough sleepers since records began.
Between July and September, outreach workers counted 4,068 people sleeping rough in London.
This is a 12 per cent increase on the same period in 2022 and more than half, or 2,086 people, were living on the streets for the first time.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here