Homeless Woman ‘Hysterical’ After Her Tent Was Set On Fire
A homeless woman in Liverpool was distraught after the tent that she was sleeping in was set on fire, reports the Liverpool Echo.
The horrifying incident was reported to have taken place on Tuesday. Charity outreach workers said the tent, which was being used by the woman, was near the site of the demolished Churchill Way Flyovers on the outskirts of Liverpool city centre when it was set ablaze. The tent belonged to a woman who is known to homeless outreach workers. They said she was “hysterical” and in tears after the incident, which saw her lose possessions.
For Michelle Langan, who runs the Papercup Project homeless charity and coffee shop, this is both a distressing incident and a reminder that tents can be very dangerous places for those on the streets. As the city experiences a worsening homelessness crisis, there has been a huge rise in the number of people sleeping rough in tents, particularly in Liverpool city centre. Ms Langan says this is dangerous for the vulnerable people living in them.
Speaking about this incident, she said: “Its awful for someone to lose their possessions and shelter like this. The lady was understandably really upset, but I’m thankful she wasn’t hurt or worse. It’s another incident which proves tents aren’t safe. We are hoping to see our friend soon so we can work alongside partners to get her inside. A replacement tent isn’t the answer.”
On the dangers of tents more widely, Ms Langan added: “I think tents are really dangerous. People are passing tents out with good intentions because they want to help but lots of people working in the sector are worried about it. You can’t see what’s happening to people in tents. At the end of the day we want people to be indoors. We should never get used to the idea of people sleeping in tents on the streets. It is not acceptable and it is horrific to walk through Liverpool and see so many people sleeping in them.”
Liverpool City Council said it had been made aware of the incident. Merseyside Police and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service were not contacted over the incident.
