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A group of homeless people have seized a city centre park by erecting tents and padlocking the gates.

The occupants of St James’s Park in The Haymarket are currently not allowing anyone into the public space - except from people who are part of their new commune.

Although they have barricaded themselves in, they have been seen letting themselves in and out of the park using the hefty combination lock attached to the gates.

People who live and work in the area say this is just an outcome of growing anti-social behaviour from homeless people and drug users in the area over the last few months.

Police and council officers have been seen being turned away by the dwellers who are continuing to defend their chosen home.

Matt Evans, 48, has worked nearby the park for many years, and has witnessed the newest tent city take form over the last week.

He said: “There’s been a lot of activity in one section of the park where there’s been three or four tents set up over a week. A lot of drinking and congregating, I believe it's homeless people because I recognise them.

(Image: Bristol Post)

“I walked past today (June 20) and there were two police officers outside the closed gate. The people inside were getting very animated telling the officers they couldn’t come in and they should leave them alone.

“The two officers ended up just leaving,” he said.

“I took one of the homeless guys I know aside in the town centre when I saw him and asked what was going on in St James’s Park and he said ‘We’ve taken it over, it’s ours now, we’ve got it for the people’,” he added.

Mr Evans said he and his colleagues have like many people noticed the rising levels of homelessness and anti-social behaviour in the city centre.

He said every day they are forced to watch people openly drinking and taking drugs in the area.

“Spice is prevalent here and unfortunately that park in particular is used as a toilet,” said Mr Evans who has witnessed first-hand human excrement in the street.

“Everyone, including them, should be able to use the park,” he added. “But most people won’t go in there, I won’t go in there.”

(Image: Bristol Post)

Mr Evans admits he does not know what the answer is and said he is sympathetic to the homeless in the city.

“Taking over a park isn’t the answer though,” he said.

“People end up in their situation often through a lot of heartache but there needs to be some solution and Bristol City Council haven’t got it. They need to find some way to help and deal with it rather than pushing the issue from one place to another.”

A number of people have been told the council plans to evict the squatters from the park, but for the moment the homeless remain guarding the park.

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A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of the situation and are working with partners in order to open the park again.”

Police have said it is a matter for the council and they would only be involved to assist workers in an eviction, to keep the peace or if there was visible anti-social behaviour and drug use taking place.