Five Middlesbrough homeless people die 'after support team redeployed'

Five homeless people have died since a council redeployed staff helping them, it has been revealed.

Middlesbrough Council's Breaking the Boundaries Team gave "intensive support" for rough sleepers, but its three staff were moved in April.

Susan Gill, who runs the town's Homeless Cafe, has called on the authority to reverse its decision.

The council said it "continues to provide services to help the most vulnerable in society".

Independent councillor Jon Rathmell has called a meeting to discuss the situation, saying: "Since the service was withdrawn on 1 April 2019, five homeless people have died on Middlesbrough streets. This is five deaths too many."

Ms Gill said those who had died used to come to her cafe.

"They were all under the Breaking the Boundaries Team," she said.

"After the council moved the staff to other jobs, it had a really bad effect on a lot of people who are struggling to cope."

An extraordinary council meeting on Wednesday will discuss the team's withdrawal, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Mr Rathmell, leader of Middlesbrough Independent Councillors' Association, said he was asking for "a bit of joined-up thinking".

Enforcement by street wardens without rehabilitation from the Breaking the Boundaries Team was "not going to tackle the issue," he warned.

The council said it did not dispute the figure and expected the number of drug-related deaths, including people who were not homeless, would be higher.

A spokesman said the full picture would be presented to the council at the meeting.

"The Breaking the Boundaries team no longer exists in its previous form, however the officers have been redeployed in similar roles," he said.

"The council values the work of the Homeless Cafe and we are continuing to speak Susan Gill about our future relationship."