Pop star takes expresses ‘disgust’ at a public space protection order in London that aims to crack down on rough sleeping

Singer Ellie Goulding has challenged British councils for their treatment of the homeless, expressing her “disgust” at a public space protection order (PSPO) that aims to crack down on rough sleeping in the London borough of Hackney. Under the PSPO, rough sleepers in some areas of Hackney could face a £100 fixed penalty or be taken to court and fined up to £1,000.

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Goulding posted a series of tweets saying she was “deeply concerned about how out of touch people can be”, and added: “Some councils in England have decided to treat homeless people as though they are criminals and are going to start fining them.”

Goulding urged her 4.8 million followers to sign an online petition to “stop criminalising Hackney’s rough sleepers”.

Since the PSPO began in April, Hackney council have countered criticism saying “enforcement action will always be the last resort”. However, charities working with rough sleepers, such as national homelessness charity Crisis, fear the move could drive vulnerable people away from services that might help them.

Jon Sparkes, head of Crisis wrote in the Guardian: “Such deterrent measures are also counterproductive. They do nothing to tackle the underlying causes of homelessness, and make it even harder for people to access the kind of support they need to move away from the streets for good. There are more sensitive and appropriate ways of tackling homelessness.”