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Arsonists burned down a bus shelter in Kingswood last night where a homeless woman had been sleeping.

The woman, known as Jo, returned from church to find her home burning and all her possessions destroyed. Local reports say she sat on a nearby wall and watched helpless as the flames turned her things to ash.

Jo had been sleeping in the shelter on and off for several months, she is well-known in the area and the local council were aware of her situation. Jo was assigned male at birth but she now identifies as a woman – she is known by some people in the area as John.

Warren Turner, from Kingswood (who knows Jo as John) said: “I did go past as they were putting the fire out and saw him (sic) sat on the wall with a suitcase and bag of stuff, there were a few people there chatting to him.

“He used to live a few doors down from me until he got evicted. He kept himself to himself. Every year he used to go round with poppies when it was that time of year. He wouldn’t hurt a fly and he would always say hello.”

Warren said Jo suffered abuse because she was trans-gender and because she lived outside.

He said: “People just don't like what he does. I think people have always given him a hard time but he's no different from the rest.”

Holly, who also lives in the area, said she was "upset and annoyed". She said this was not the first time people had targeted Jo.

She said: “All his stuff was in there, duvets and so on. Apparently they tried to burn it on Saturday while he was in there but they did it tonight while he was at church instead.

“There's just no need. There are such horrible people in the world. He wasn't harming anyone - the police didn't move him on so obviously they didn't see him as an issue.”

Rev. Chris Evans of Holy Trinity Church said she knew Jo well.

“Jo is part of the community, she’s a familiar face in the local area,” she said.

“There have been a lot of endeavours by official bodies and within the local community to support Jo. We have to let her live the life she wants to live.”

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said officers had attended a fire at the bus shelter in Kingswood High Street along with two fire crews last night.

He added: “We are treating the fire as suspicious. A homeless man’s belongings were set on fire in the bus shelter.

“Our enquiries are on-going. Anyone with any information is asked to contact police on 101 and quote crime reference number 5217 166 220.”