I am really shocked after being out and about in Hayes this week. On Tuesday I walked to Barra Hall - using the cut through by St Marys Church. As I walked past the graveyard I saw signs that people were living there in the churchyard. There was food, blankets and a fire that had been put out. I thought it was odd but asssumed they had gone. Today in the bitter cold and snow I walked there again and there are two people living in amongst the graves Under a tree, laid along side a grave were 2 men asleep, all covered in blankets. Food and soft drinks were there under the tree and another fire had been lit. How awful that people are living like this in a graveyard of all places. Then I went to Hayes town .... lots of beggars there, a man in a wheelchair begging for food near Greggs and the saddest sight was a lad with Downs syndrome sitting by Argos wrapped in a duvet With all these cuts taking place this can only get worse .....

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I do not suffer fools !!!!!

And another I spotted on the Uxbridge Road - on scrubland beside the old peoples home, set back from the road is a little brick shelter. In there is a bed and blankets. Someone has been living in that for months

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I do not suffer fools !!!!!

so sad but we have seen tents here in Cowley and around Little Britain too.

We've also seen them in Slough in a little park near my sister in law's house - she reported them because the park is a children's play area and it's not nice for the kids to play in an area that people use as a public convenience.

Very very sad. For people with no immediate family or friends to stay with I can well imagine how they can get themselves into that situation because negotiating Job Seekers Allowance and Housing Benefit -- and keeping them -- can be a total nightmare as I know only two well from several people I've helped in the past in trying to deal with it. While we all know there are many people who somehow seem to be able to milk the system and cruise along apparently effortlessly on benefits, there are many people, especially single people, who have a very tough time and can somehow find themselves receiving nothing despite being in desperate circumstances.

Oh Sunshine - its even worse than I realised I was so shocked . I don't go to Hayes much at all and hadn't been for a while. As for the grave yard - I did read in the paper that people were being driven to this but never did I imagine it would happen on my doorstep. Where will it all end

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I do not suffer fools !!!!!

I totally agree Jon - I have sympathy for these people. Even the addicts - if they were helped more instead of just given benefit and told to cope it might help People must be so desperate - and now this bedroom tax will take up to 25% of benefit plus increases in council tax ... how can anyone cope ?? Also there are no crisis loans any more (not sure what replaced them in Hillingdon) . I just think it's wrong

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I do not suffer fools !!!!!

This area is continually growing as they are shipping them in from overseas. We have hit bursting point with no sensible plan. These are the people with no voice and no hope.

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Lets be careful out there !

True - but still they keep on coming What type of housing is Point West on Uxbridge Rd ? There are always young foreign people hanging around there and it looks quite run down when you look up at the building ??

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I do not suffer fools !!!!!

I don't think these are UK citizens as there is provision within the benefit system that means these people do not need to sleep rough or indeed beg.

Those UK citizens that do sleep on the streets are usually because of family breakdown or mental health issues particularly amongst ex members of the military. Those sleeping rough sometimes choose to do so.

There was a news report on some time ago about illegal immigrants sleeping under the motorway bridge in Heston/Hounslow, because they have no work and of course no access to benefits.
As has been proved recently the Border Agency are not fit for service in allowing them entry in the first place and not removing them post haste when they do. They did run a scheme a while back offering a few hundred quid and a ticket home and I think a number took advantage of it.

Others will be free labour arrived from Europe who now have no work, no means to funds and again cannot access any meaningful benefits.

Contrary to public thinking there are already significant numbers of Romanians and Bulgarians here who look on begging as a national pastime.In fact I am sure some people will recall the stories of them swarming around the tourist buses around Westminster begging and reports of the Met having to place additional officers on the bridge to combat this.

These people are also not beyond using their children as a bargaining tool in their attempts to play on the sympathy and desire to raise funds.

Although there are illegals in this it is mainly the people from within the EU who have free movement but no means to support themselves without work.

I walk through Victoria every morning at 06:30 on my way to work and am appalled by the growing homeless crisis.

It's ironic that during the short walk from Victoria station to Whitehall (ie the seat of Govt), I must pass more than 50 rough sleepers of all ages and colours. If I count those sleeping elsewhere on my route to work - say near Marble Arch and in Mayfair's affluent Park Lane, the number is nearer 70 - in the space of 2 miles!!

I quite honestly get a tightening of my stomach when I pass these poor people, especially in this recent weather where groups of homeless have resorted to huddle together. MCDonald's in Victoria St now resembles a soup kitchen around that time as they tuck into some McCrap breakfast.

Still never mind, the 50p tax rate is gunna be cut soon, so at least those living in the expensive flats overlooking these homeless people will be better off