The latest camp set up by anti-homeless protesters in Manchester includes people who aren’t actually homeless, a senior councillor has said.

About a dozen people have pitched tents on the city’s busiest shopping area, Market Street.

The move breaches a ban on anyone pitching a tent without permission imposed by the town hall in July.

City centre supremo Coun Pat Karney has vowed to remove the camp and said the protesters risked losing public support by turning their cause into a ‘pantomime all around the city’.

(Image: Dominic Salter)

Now a fellow senior councillor has told how efforts to help the Market Street protesters have been spurned and even claimed some aren’t even homeless.

'Known to not be homeless'

Coun Nigel Murphy, Manchester City Council’s executive member for neighbourhoods, said: “Our rough sleepers team has visited the Market Street camp to offer support and accommodation to anyone who requires it.

“They have been able to put one person into temporary accommodation while a detailed assessment of their needs can be assessed. They also found other people on the site who are known to not be homeless, while others there refused to speak to us.

(Image: Dominic Salter)

“Dealing with the needs of genuinely homeless people is a major priority for the city council, and we have recently put a huge amount of work into this issue - such as developing a single point of access for adult rough sleepers, opening new bed spaces, and establishing a multi agency group aimed at helping long-term rough sleepers.

“However, we can only help those who are prepared to engage with us. Tents pitched up on busy city centre streets do nothing to help the cause of genuinely homeless people and only drain resources away from those who need them, while causing a major disruption for residents and people working in city centre shops.”

(Image: Dominic Salter)

Coun Murphy also spoke out about another protest at the homeless shelter The Ark on Oxford Road.

He said: “As far as the Oxford Road camp is concerned, this disruption has included street drinking and the intimidation of members of the public, while the police have been called to deal with a number of issues there. We have therefore served notices on both camps and aim to move them as quickly as possible.”