Homeless residents living in a ‘dangerous’ British shanty town have revealed some residents are beaten up and urinated on.
Tents have been erected near to the site of the former Groves school in Wrexham and the council has paid for a portable toilet for the camp.
They say they are ‘tolerating the situation’ to prevent ‘other problems arising in other areas’.
But people living in the area are furious, with one branding the situation ‘disgraceful’.
A ‘shanty town’ of homeless people has popped up at the site of a former school in Wrexham. A row has broken out over the camp, with one resident describing it as ‘disgraceful’
Desperate: Barry Roberts (right) and Laura Masters (centre) are living rough in tents. Mr Roberts has been homeless for a year after he lost his job and his relationship broke up
The ‘shanty town’ (pictured) near to the site of the former Groves school in Wrexham. The council has been slammed after they paid for a portable toilet to be placed in the camp
According to The Sun, one camp resident said the area is ‘segregated’ and added some people living there ’cause trouble’ and ‘fight’.
The man, in his 30s, told the website: ‘It’s quite segregated. Some of the lads don’t do anything and just walk around with their tops off and cause trouble and fight with us.
‘I’m a lad’s lad, I’m not arsed. But it’s dangerous at night. People will just come and p*** on you.’
The resident, who wished not to be named, said: ‘I think it is disgraceful they are being allowed to stay there.
‘If they are being pandered to there, how are they going to get their life restarted?They are not going to want to move on.’
Robert Williams said: ‘Shanty towns have no place in our town.
‘Many of these unfortunate folk are drug abusers and the health hazard and safety issues of a shanty town could affect the whole town. Plus the former school borders on a residential area.
‘The council must house these persons and tackle the problem full on.’
Local group Help Wrexham’s Homeless is taking food and supplies to the camp, opposite the town’s police station, as the council and other agencies look for a solution to the problem.
Tracey Jones and Nick Claffey (both above) of Help Wrexham’s Homeless, have been handing out food, clothes and camping supplies which have been donated to the group
Barry Roberts (pictured) lives at the camp. He said ‘It keeps everybody off the streets in one place. The Wrexham homeless people are like a community. We are like a family’
The homeless camp in Wrexham has caused uproar with local residents. One said: ‘Shanty towns have no place in our town’
Barry Roberts, 42, from Wrexham, currently lives at the camp and has been homeless for a year after he lost his job and his relationship broke up.
He said: ‘It keeps everybody off the streets in one place. The Wrexham homeless people are like a community and we try to support each other. We are like a family.’
He added: ‘We don’t want to cause problems or be in anybody’s way, but we need more support and help to get somewhere to live and start again.
‘If this goes then people will start to drift back around the town centre, and we don’t want that.’
Nick Claffey, of Help Wrexham’s Homeless, was at the former school on Monday to hand out food, clothes and camping supplies which have been donated to the group.
He said: ‘I think they need to be housed. Growing up in Wrexham, I have never seen so many homeless people around the town centre as in the last couple of years.
Pictured: The former Groves school in Wrexham. A ‘shanty town’ of homeless people has popped up at the site
‘They need to find somewhere for them to live. We will help and encourage them to use the services available.’
The council had wanted to demolish the Groves building and build up to two new schools, but campaigners fought to save it and it was listed by Cadw following a complicated legal wrangle.
Councillor Hugh Jones, Wrexham said: ‘We want to provide security for residents living near the Groves, and we have a responsibility to protect the building.
‘The council and its partners also have to consider the welfare of the people living on the site.
‘The people camping there have a complex range of issues, like homelessness, substance misuse and poor mental health – things that can’t be addressed overnight.
‘Helping them change their circumstances is crucial to managing these issues in Wrexham.
‘Moving them on without attempting to help will just create problems elsewhere.’
He added: ‘We know we need to find a way to better support them in a more suitable environment, as it’s not appropriate for people to be camping on the site. We all want to see a successful resolution.’