Sprinklers to be turned on homeless

Homeless people who sleep next to buildings in central London face being sprayed with "anti-vagrant" sprinklers.

A company in Victoria has applied for planning permission to install a sprinkler to stop people sleeping outside its offices at night.

It says the vagrants leave litter and drug debris. But the idea has been described as "inhumane" by homeless charity Shelter.

The charity says that with freezing winter temperatures, any homeless person who is soaked could get seriously ill or die. It also fears the idea may be extended to doorways.

Westminster council's planners will meet this month to consider the application from Postwatch, a Governmentfunded postal consumer watchdog with offices in Grosvenor Gardens.

Postwatch facilities manager Stan Pindar said: "We are concerned about the health and safety issues of having vagrants sleeping in the basement area. We have locked the gate leading down to it, but they climb over and we cannot put a grill overhead because the building is Grade II listed and the planning officers will not let us.

"We had a meeting with local police and planners and one of the policemen suggested this. It was the only solution we could think of."

The sprinkler, operated by an infrared sensor, would be switched on between dusk and dawn. Chris Warren, partner of Icewit Design which came up with the blueprint, said: "There was a problem with human faeces and drugs. It is a pretty simple concept - a perforated copper pipe fixed to one of the walls and linked to the mains water, which would give someone a 10-second squirt. We are not sure whether it will prove workable - people may simply use it as a free shower. But it is really to protect private property. I wouldn't want to see them installed in doorways of shops."

However, homeless people in the Victoria area were horrified at the idea. Stephen Kemsley, 35, a Big Issue vendor on the streets since he was 19, said: "People will get hypothermia. It's all very well moving them on but if your sleeping bag gets a soaking on a freezing night it's not going to dry out.

"This could actually kill people and if Westminster council allows this machine to be installed, it could be helping to kill them."

Jade Soloman, 28, a Liverpudlian living rough for 12 years, added: "Just when it's coming up to Christmas and it has turned really cold they come up with this. I think it's really sick."

A Shelter spokesman said: "If a company has problems with people sleeping rough on its premises then there are agencies they can contact to help out. Something like this which could be dangerous is not the answer."

Westminster council said: "The application is due to go before our planning committee and we cannot comment in advance."