Forum Topic

Putney high Street flight centre

Flight centre doorway now a mini camp  for drinkers. Safer Neighbourhood police claim they don't have powers to move then on.  

Penelope Becker ● 2222d15 Comments

I called the flight centre manager Rob, who are working remotely. Mike de Silva of SN referred them to Streetlink for a visit within 3 days. This morning they were gone around 9 am..No doubt will pop up again.. Just don't want PHS to become a mecca for drunks and beggars again.And get businesses back. Was told the women in Flight Centre regularly have to face them crashed out in their doorway when they arrive in the morning to start work.

Penelope Becker ● 2221d

Victoria I know, they had bags handed to them.

Barbara Stevens ● 2221d

@BarbaraThe queue outside the Community Church on a Monday is for when they distribute meals. Pre Covid they served lunch on a Monday on the premises to anyone in need, lonely, or just wanting to join them, and were always well attended. Now they've had to improvise and I gather serve meals for them to take home and cook, or whatever is appropriate for that person.

Victoria Diamond ● 2222d

One was in Halfords doorway before they moved him on with food all over the entrance floor.

Barbara Stevens ● 2222d

Caroline both, some are drinking, the other asleep and looks paralytic. It's the same crowd.

Barbara Stevens ● 2222d

You're right Richard, so you have a spare bedroom or two so take a few under your roof and protect them.

Simon Knight ● 2222d

That's why I caveated my post. They fully inside the doorway area and thus on private property I believe the police have limited powers to act, it's up to the property owner. Otherwise it depends on whether they're homeless or not and if they're causing an obstruction, and if they are homeless where the police might move them on to ...

Michael Ixer ● 2222d

This could be challenged under 'obstruction of right of way.'The High Street continues to degrade without appropriate official interventions...

Miles Thompson ● 2222d

Are the people gathering outside the Flight Centre homeless (ie sleeping there). Or are they gathering to drink together? If the latter, then I would think that the Police have powers to do something.

Caroline Whitehead ● 2222d

We are supposed to be staying in as much as possible and social distancing.  This means planning where we go to exercise more carefully and crossing roads when there are other people on the pavement to safeguard both them and us.  Yesterday was more difficult with a lot of people in their front gardens to keep a distance from!

Philippa Bond ● 2222d

Thanks for explaining that.. If you are in the older age bracket, the situation is deeply worrying for them , as it heightens the risk of going out and catching the virus

Penelope Becker ● 2222d

If you read the regulations in the statutory instrument then homeless people are excluded from complying with the ban on leaving one's household without a reasonable excuse. So, if these people are homeless and sleeping on the streets the police are correct, they can't do much, and in any case the doorway is probably private property. (What the pandemic is highlighting is a number of problems in our society and welfare system that hasn't concerned a number of people previously.) Those people in the park, unless they're just walking through for daily exercise, are often deliberately flouting the regulations for no good reason; I doubt they could justify sunbathing as a reasonable excuse to be outside, although perhaps someone with a medical PhD could determine one around vitamin D deficiencies and thee time required to be outside in sunlight ...

Michael Ixer ● 2222d

It's cheap to demonise them, they could be even more vulnerable to Covid-19 than most of us.

Richard Carter ● 2222d

I reported to police, who say they have referred to Streetlink, who respond within 3 days, but these guys could be spreading Covid

Penelope Becker ● 2222d

Penelope, a bit strange as the Police can move on people in Parks. There's a little crowd of them seem to hang about together they were near the Halifax as well. Also last Monday when I was waiting outside Sainsbury's in Werter Rd, they were in a queue for food outside the Church in Werter Rd.

Barbara Stevens ● 2222d