END THIS SCANDAL
Young dad’s death sparks homeless campaign
THE death of a young dad who was sleeping rough has sparked a campaign to open up disused buildings to the homeless.
Matthew Bloomer’s body was found in Glasgow’s Argyle Street on Tuesday. Campaigners fear he froze to death.
His brother Paolo BarnettBloomer, 30, paid tribute to the 28-year-old yesterday.
He said: “Matthew was a loving uncle to all his many nieces and nephews and he is survived by his two children.
“My brother was a vulnerable young man with a decade-long fight with alcohol and mental health problems and we feel he should have been a priority in the eyes of the council.
“There’s no excuse for allowing people to sleep rough in a ‘civilised’ society that is known for sub-zero temperatures.
“There’s no area more obvious to spot a homeless person than in one of Glasgow’s busiest shopping streets. My brother was left to die there.”
Meanwhile, graffiti demanding “no more homeless deaths” and “let the people in” has been scrawled over the whitewashed windows of a closed-down BHS store in the city centre.
Twitter user Caitlin Rose shared two images of the shopfront along with the message: “After a homeless man froze to death in Glasgow, this is plastered into BHS. Make it happen.”
By last night, her post had been retweeted 1400 times.
After the grim find on Tuesday, John Glackin, of charity Streets Kitchen, said: “There are too many needless deaths on our streets. We need to open up all available empty buildings immediately.”
Shelter Scotland’s deputy director Alison Watson said: “I am desperately saddened to hear of the loss of a young life in such lonely and isolated circumstances.
“In the long term, the best way to end the human misery of homelessness is to build enough good quality homes for affordable social rent to meet local need.”
Police are treating the death as unexplained but said there were no suspicious circumstances.
A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “Our street team work in the city centre every day to engage directly with people affected by homelessness and to direct them to available support.”