Homeless people could end up in jail as a result of a ‘draconian’ ban being sought by Manchester council, a lawyer has warned.

Town hall bosses are going to court next week to seek a city centre-wide injunction against homelessness campaigners who have set up camp to highlight the issue.

The camp started out in Albert Square, but moved to St Peter’s Square and then St Anne’s Square after being evicted each time by the council.

It is now in Castlefield.

So far, the council has only been granted eviction orders for individualares.

But if successful on Monday, the latest move would be far more wide-ranging.

Town hall chiefs say the camp has been responsible for anti-social behaviour, including fires and street drinking.

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But the solicitor acting for the group has claimed the proceedings are ‘disheartening and unsympathetic’ - and against the wishes of the courts. He said the town hall had previously been warned by a senior judge to enter into meaningful discussions with the camp.

Ben Taylor, of solicitors WTB, told the MEN: “I am disappointed to learn that possession and injunction proceedings have been issued once again, despite the remarks of HHJ Gore QC concerning mediation.

“To injunct a homeless person from sleeping rough within the borders of Manchester city is draconian not least because they have nowhere else to sleep.

“Failure to comply with such an order could result in the individual being committed to serve a two-year prison sentence for doing nothing more than not having a home in which to sleep.

“I would much rather the council continue with its regular twice-monthly meetings with the representatives of the homeless camp to endeavour to reach a resolution. The next meeting is scheduled for next Friday. These proceedings are disheartening, premature, unnecessary, unsympathetic and contrary to the wishes of the judiciary.”

The campaigners have been at loggerheads with the town hall since April, with each side arguing the other refuses to have meaningful discussions.

A Manchester council spokesman said: “We are applying for an injunction following more than 10 weeks of disruption to residents and businesses caused by people on these camps, as well as anti-social behaviour which has included the burning of bonfires, vandalism, street drinking and the intimidation of members of the public.

“This injunction will be there to stop the creation of camps, and it is inaccurate and misleading to claim that we are setting out to criminalise individual homeless people who are sleeping rough.

"We are continuing to engage with homeless people in Manchester and we have offered accommodation to those people within the camps who are willing to accept it.”

The MEN has reported how both rough sleeping and statutory homelessness, the number of people with a legal right to be rehoused by the council - has shot through the roof in the last five years.

Rough sleeping has gone up six-fold in the city since 2010, a rise blamed on a host of frontline service cuts including to policing, councils, mental health provision and the voluntary sector.

And the number of people deemed legally homeless and in priority need by Manchester council - that is vulnerable and entitled to rehousing - rose 44pc in the year to March, from 548 to 792.