Camp of homeless people using bushes as a toilet
Group of Polish men not engaging with council processes
There are growing concerns over a risk to health caused by an encampment of homeless people on the banks of the River Medway.
At least three tents have been pitched amongst the undergrowth on the Fant side of the river, approximately 100 yards along from the Tovil footbridge in the direction of East Farleigh. The camp’s occupiers, who come from Poland, are using the bushes as a toilet and there are faeces and toilet wipes spread around.
Maidstone council says while some of the group have been found accommodation, the remaining members do not want to exercise their EU Treaty rights, by providing passport and ID details, and so the authority has been unable to help.
It is understood some of the people had been moved on from land underneath Sainsbury’s in Romney Place, Maidstone.
Gary Clarkson from Beaconsfield Road, Tovil, who regularly walks his dog along the public footpath just below the camp, said: “It’s disgusting. There are human faeces and other litter. They’ve been there three weeks and nothing has been done.” He said local authorities were at fault for allowing the footpath to become overgrown.
He said: “When it was created two years ago, it was lovely. Six foot wide with plenty of room. Now it’s all overgrown and so badly maintained you have to turn sideways on to avoid being stung by nettles in places.
“The council just hasn’t cared for it and that’s probably encouraged the campers, because they think that if the council can’t maintain this new path, no one will be bothered if they live there.”
Another resident Mary Callow agreed saying the path was almost impassable, while a third dog-walker, who asked not to be named, said his dog had cut his paw after treading on broken glass in the area.