DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – A homeless campsite in Northeast Dallas that residents say was growing out of control has been cleared by Dallas Police.

The huge pile of sand is no longer a bed or a bathroom for dozens of homeless people during the last several months.

Police started driving them out Wednesday after a CBS 11 story on nearby residents’ complaints last week.

Among those forced out of the area under a bridge on Royal Lane is Dennis English.

The 48-year-old has been homeless for 20 years and has lived here for the last several of those.

He says the large sand pile which the city stores under the bridge for use to deice streets has been a comfortable and safe place to live with his girlfriend.

He says the move will force him and others to start living under more high profile overpasses nearby.

“The police are dogging us down there, like ‘move, move, you got a move.’ Move where? Them people don’t want over there. Move where? I’m fine right here OK when you get a good bum you need to keep him because I run all the other ones off the ones breaking into cars, breaking into buildings,” explained English.

“When you get a good bum, you need to keep him” A homeless man in Dallas makes his case to stay where he is after police forced him and others to leave a sand pile they’ve been living on under a bridge on Royal Lane. What do you think? pic.twitter.com/DK0C7EpaTu — J.D. Miles (@jdmiles11) February 13, 2020

Dallas Police told CBS 11 in a statement, “The encampment was increasing in size and the department felt it was a good opportunity to get the Office of Homeless Solutions involved to offer services to those homeless persons residing in that area.”

Some of the homeless are already trying to sneak back into this area, but police are patrolling to try and keep them out.