EXCLUSIVE: About 30 to 40 tents in two rows have been crammed together on a narrow stretch of a central reservation.
Homeless people have been accused of begging, gambling and urinating on the street in Euston (Image: Ian Vogler)
Homeless people have been accused of begging, gambling and urinating on the street at a “tent city” where migrants live. Angry locals have called on Camden Council to take action against the encampment, while those who live there strongly deny the allegations.
The camp itself has been in Euston Road, London, since at least 2023 and falls within the constituency of former Labour prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer. His successor, Andy Burnham, vowed to end homelessness in England on his first day in the job, earmarking £340million to tackle the issue of rough sleeping.
About 30 to 40 tents in two rows have been crammed together on a narrow stretch of a central reservation sandwiched between the westbound and eastbound lanes of Euston Road, just yards from Warren Street Underground Station and University College Hospital.
Some locals say people feel unsafe at night (Image: Ian Vogler)
Under the shade of a few London plane trees, two or three homeless people could be seen on Monday (August 10), sitting on old office chairs at a picnic table and wandering between tents.
Outside a nearby McDonald’s, one young woman could be seen wrapped in a pink, fluffy blanket, with a sign in front of her reading: “Please help, ned (sic) hostel, God bless”, as morning commuters filed past.
Travel agent Aman Ansari said the encampment appeared after the COVID pandemic, adding, “It’s a nightmare. I wouldn’t say they’re a nuisance, but it’s a bit of an eyesore.”
He said some of those living at the camp go to the loo in the road and customers have told him they feel unsafe in the area when it gets dark.
Mr Ansari said they are not bad people and can be friendly, but a “mob mentality” can kick in if one feels threatened or has a problem with you.
The businessman said he has written to his local MP and Camden Council about the camp. He expressed bewilderment over why nothing has been done to remove the tents and house the inhabitants. Mr Ansari said: “Residents who have been here a while are not happy.”
A homeless Romanian man tells the Express he has lived at the camp for five years (Image: Ian Vogler)
A newsagent, who did not want to be named, said he has caught some people from the camp trying to shoplift and they sometimes argue with staff.
Across the road from the camp, a security guard, who would not give his name, said some of the people can be aggressive, shouting and swearing, but they have never got physical.
The man, who is in his 40s, said: “Some of them, especially if drunk, can be aggressive. They swear. Some of them beg. They look for somewhere to sleep.”
But a woman who lives with her husband in one of the tents pushed back against the claims, rejecting “hateful” comments which she said have been posted about the homeless on TikTok and Facebook.
Liliana, originally from Romania, said she was paid £13 an hour working six or seven hours a day on a zero hours contract, but she ended up sleeping rough as it was impossible to afford London’s sky-high rents.
The grandmother of two, who came to the UK in search of a better life, said she travelled to the capital from Boston, Lincolnshire, looking for a job after work dried up in the market town.
She said: “It’s very bad living here. On TikTok, Facebook, people [are] saying these people [are] criminals. If [we] were criminals, police would come to arrest us.”
London’s status as one of the world’s wealthiest capitals stands in stark contrast to the tent camp (Image: Ian Vogler)
Asked about begging, Liliana admitted some members of the camp do ask people for money, but only because they are desperate and need it to buy food.
She said: “People aren’t coming here for money, only getting £1 for three hours begging. People think these people are drug addicts and drink, but they aren’t. [They are] not stealing, not aggressive.”
The 50-year-old said about 40 people live at the encampment, including Romanians, Bulgarians, Polish, Italians and three British nationals.
A man from the camp said he was looking for work and had found jobs cleaning cars at a roadside car wash and as a decorator.
The Romanian national, who did not want to be named, admitted to begging when he needed food, but said he would not gamble at the camp where he has lived for five years.
His brother, who also stays at the camp, said he worked at car washes, but his boss took his wages from him.
Homeless charity, St Mungo’s, said the fact that people are forced to sleep rough in the UK in the 21st century is a scandal.
A spokesperson said: “For too long, people have been forced to bed down on the pavements, where they face abuse, trauma, and worsening mental and physical health with every single night they continue to sleep rough.
Camden Council says its its ‘urgent’ focus is to help rebuild the migrants’ lives off the streets (Image: Ian Vogler)
“It was momentous to see Andy Burnham recognising this on the steps of Downing Street, in his very first speech as Prime Minister.”
The charity said the challenge now is to “crystallise” the PM’s goal and end a moral tragedy once and for all.
St Mungo’s said the systemic causes of homelessness must be tackled, with “first steps” including work to address the shortage of affordable housing as well as gaps in the provision of mental, physical and substance use support.
Camden Council said it is concerned for the welfare of people rough sleeping in Euston Road and its “urgent” focus is to help rebuild their lives off the streets.
The local authority said: “This means finding suitable accommodation and providing the range of support they need, while working with community partners to make sure the area is safe and maintained for everyone.”
A spokesperson from the Metropolitan Police said neighbourhood officers are aware of the camp and are working closely with others to find a long-term solution.
They added: “We would encourage anyone who believes they have witnessed criminal activity to contact the police via 101 or online so the matter can be investigated.”