We are replacing items for one of the local rough sleepers that we support due to someone urinating on his sleeping bag, clothing and personal belongings.
I know not everyone agrees with people street sleeping and some people think they should be moved on etc., but is this the sort of thing that we want to see? Is this how we want to show our children how to behave? It is so upsetting to see and he is distraught.
It is a really tough life sleeping on the streets and I fail to understand why urinating on a persons belongings achieves anything. Sadly this is not an isolated incident and far from bad, we have even had rough sleepers physically attacked for no reason, a minority in the community seems to think they are fair game.
Isn't it amazing? If you went to get a refill in Costa and returned to find someone had urinated over your possessions there would be outrage. The police would be called, cameras looked at, people questioned, a full investigation would follow and the perpetrators would very likely be identified. Arrested and humiliated & certain to hit the front page of the echo. Now imagine you lose your job. Your "friends" vanish. Your family turns their backs. You barely have enough money to live. You now live in a shop doorway. All your bedding you've somehow managed to prequir is left in said doorway because you can't carry it all with you. This bedding is the only thing stopping you freezing…