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A homeless ex-soldier living on the streets of Crewe told how all his possessions disappeared the day Cheshire East’s waste company Ansa had warned rough sleepers their belongings would be ‘removed and destroyed’.

Ansa sparked outrage when it posted fliers at Crewe civic centre car park and the former post office, warning homeless people: “Your belongings will be removed and destroyed on 06/11/2017.”

The council has since issued a statement apologising for the wording and saying the planned clean-up of those areas had not taken place, ‘nor have any belongings been removed’.

Former soldier Kev, who has been sleeping in the doorway of the empty post office on Delamere Street for the past three months, told the BBC on Monday he went for a walk and when he returned all his belongings had gone.

(Image: BBC Radio Stoke)

“I went out for a little wander [on Monday morning] because that’s what I do, I just walk about and they took all my stuff,” said Kev.

“When I came back I had absolutely nothing. They took my sleeping bag, the little mattress thing you have on a patio chair.”

He added: “How can you evict a homeless man? I’ve got nothing to lose. I’ve got nothing, I’m sleeping in a doorway.”

Kev is a former soldier, originally from London. His parents were from Crewe and his dad worked on the railway.

“I lost my mum about two years ago It broke my heart and I just gave up,” he said. “I just gave up.”

Kevin Melling, managing director of Ansa, said: “We regret the wording of the fliers left in the civic centre car park in the town centre and on the door of the old post office in Crewe on Friday. It did not reflect the intentions or the ethos of Ansa.

“The two areas are used by the homeless community as both living areas and areas for waste. Our intention was to give any homeless people sleeping within the car park, the opportunity to remove their personal belongings before cleaning works started.

“We planned to clear accumulated waste but to leave the living quarters alone. However, we acknowledge that the notice did not make this clear. We apologise unreservedly for any distress this has caused.”

Cllr Janet Clowes, Cheshire East’s cabinet member for social care and integration, said on Monday: “I would like to thank local councillors and members of the public who alerted me to this issue over the weekend.

It is important to note, that as a result the action planned for today has been cancelled. No areas have been cleaned, nor have any belongings been removed.

“Cleansing and making areas safe is essential work. However, I have asked that further liaison with the homeless community and the groups that support them takes place, so that future cleansing work is properly and sensitively coordinated.

“Cheshire East Council recognises the importance of its role in engaging with homeless people. It is vital that we have an effective strategy to tackle this issue. We will continue to support those most in need and to prevent homelessness wherever possible in the borough.”

Crewe councillor Dorothy Flude told the Chronicle: “If they have removed this man’s possessions they should be ashamed of themselves. To penalise the most vulnerable in our community in this way is shameful.”

She added: “In the year we celebrate the Beveridge Report (a 1942 study into poverty which led to the establishment of a system of social security and the National Health Service after the end of the war) it’s a tragedy that in the 21st century we are back to the same situation we were after the Second World War.”

She said the plight of the homeless is worse now than it was about 40 years ago when at least people who were down on their luck could find somewhere to sleep at the hospitals at Arclid or the Barony.

Many people in Crewe took to social media to vent their anger - all called the notice disgusting.

One, who described the action as ‘beyond vile’ posted a picture of the flier on Facebook and added her message: “Seasons greetings from Ansa!...Disgusting, Find them somewhere to live then eh? #angry