It is no place to spend the night. The bedding isn't properly dry from the last downpour, there is a stove but no food and it is starting to drizzle.

The just-released Sydney homeless count shows there are 365 people sleeping rough on Sydney's streets, 5 per cent more than last February when the figure was up 26 per cent.

Rolling stone: Dave sleeps rough in tents at Belmore Park as services for the homeless are full to capacity. Credit:Wolter Peeters

But the smaller increase did not make much difference to Jamie and Leroy pitching their tents in Belmore Park opposite Central Station. Heavily tattooed Dave turns up with a guitar (plays Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Eagles and considers himself "one of the goddamn best") and was offered tent space and bedding.

Jamie had been in the park for four months, did some drugs and has served time, he said, for defending his pregnant partner after a bloke went for her.