Tributes to homeless man who died under M4 flyover
‘KINDHEARTED’ MAN HAD BEEN FOUND UNWELL IN THE STREET BY POLICE
TRIBUTES have been paid to a ‘kind’ homeless man who died underneath a bridge over the weekend after being found by police on patrol in West London.
Officers discovered a man unwell in the street on Sunday November 14 under Harlington Bridge on the M4 on Bedwell Gardens, South Hayes. Emergency services including an advanced paramedic rushed to the scene but they were unable to save him.
Posting to a local online forum for South Hayes residents, one man initially believed that it was a crime scene, but said he later discovered that ‘a homeless man had died.’
One wrote: “How incredibly sad. I often wonder about these people, who they were and why in the end they died alone without anyone.”
Another added: “When I was litter picking under there a few months back, I saw evidence to show that people were sleeping under the flyover.”
A third lamented: “This is so awful, something needs to change. Trying to think of the best way to engage with the council to find these people the support they deserve.”
A local resident Jane Harwood, 68, of nearby Cleave Avenue, says she often walks her dog Lucky in the area and quite often sees homeless people under the flyover - but that “they never cause any trouble”.
She said: “One of my neighbours told me that a homeless man has died, but I don’t know his name or any other details. It happened on Sunday afternoon. It’s just awful, there are no words.”
Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “If it’s the man I think it is, then he was a kindhearted man that never caused any trouble. He really kept himself to himself, I didn’t know his name.”
It comes at the worst time of year for homeless people, as temperatures are set to plummet to below 0C over many parts of the country next week.
A Met Police spokesperson said: “On Sunday, November 14 at 2.27pm, police were on patrol in Bedwell Gardens, Hayes when they located a man unwell in the street.
“Despite the efforts of the emergency service the man sadly died at the scene. His death is being treated as non-suspicious.”
A London Ambulance spokesperson added: “We were called at 2.30pm on November 14 to reports of an incident on Bedwell Gardens, Hayes. We sent an ambulance crew, a medic in a car, an incident response officer, and an advanced paramedic. Sadly, a man died at the scene.”