The leader of Camden Council has ordered an “urgent” probe after some workers were seen throwing a homeless person's tent into a rubbish truck.

Cllr Pat Callaghan said she has “pledged investigation” into a dispersal order carried out by University College Hospital and the police.

Videos on social media appeared to show several tents being thrown into a waste disposal truck on Friday (November 10).

Cllr Callaghan added she is “deeply concerned” to see the footage. She said: “Nothing is more important to us than the welfare, safety, and rights of every person who is experiencing homelessness”.

She claimed that council’s outreach team, Routes Off the Streets, have been “working hard” to support every rough sleeper in Camden, including providing them an access to accommodation.

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She said seeing the council’s contracted waste operator apparently engaged in the dispersal operation is “concerning” and she has vowed to “personally look into what happened”.

Streets Kitchen, a homeless charity that originally shared the footage, said in response that they will distribute as many such tents as they can. They have shared links to a fundraising campaign as part of their urgent winter appeal.

A spokesperson for the hospital trust told the Evening Standard that the rough sleepers were forced to move due to “public health concerns”.

“Following public health concerns, the police have helped to relocate some people sleeping outside the Grafton Way Building, a hospital treating immunocompromised patients,” they said. 

They added the hospital was “deeply committed” to improving homeless people’s health and treats thousands of homeless patients a year for serious illnesses.

A Met Police spokesperson clarified that officers worked with the hospital and other partners in response to their concerns about around ten tents near its entrance in Huntley Street.

He added: “One person was arrested for breach of a S35 dispersal order having refused to comply with the police direction to relocate from the area. He has been taken into police custody.

“Appropriate support is being provided by partner organisations to those affected.”