Grosvenor Gardens, a busy square just over a mile from 10 Downing Street and close to Victoria station, has become a hotspot for rough sleepers, sparking complaints from local shopkeepers and business owners about frequent drug use and rampant theft.
The area, overlooked by The Goring Hotel—the only hotel ever granted a Royal Warrant by Queen Elizabeth II for hospitality services in 2013—now sees dozens of homeless people wrapped in blankets or lying in tents, with pillows, sleeping bags, and other belongings often piled on top of bus shelters.
Businesses hit hard
According to The Daily Mail, homeless people, often on drugs, frequently steal hundreds of pounds worth of produce from local businesses or harass shop staff. Bally Singh, who runs the off-licence Charles of Belgravia, told the Mail that two homeless people smashed through his front door and stole more than £1,000 worth of alcohol and cigarettes.
Singh said: “This was the first robbery I've had in my shop in over 100 years of ownership. They were very foolish thieves as they put their stolen goods into a rubbish bag from the council, which is red in colour... It's terrible. I had to replace the door and the lock on my shutters as they broke the motor.” He added that frequent raids are costing his shop between £30 and £40 a week.
Varundi, a receptionist at a nearby hotel, said they were unable to let a room for one week when a homeless man urinated inside after booking it and stole the linens. She noted that more than ten people sleep in Grosvenor Gardens each night.
Council and police respond
Cllr Caroline Sargent, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Enforcement at Westminster City Council, said: “Local people and businesses are fed up with rough sleeping sites springing up, and so are we. This is totally unacceptable in the heart of a capital city. As a Council we do all we can to help people sleeping rough off the streets and spend £8m a year on support ranging from hostels to addiction treatment.”
She added: “While many people we engage with support to move away from rough sleeping, some locations can also attract individuals involved in anti-social behaviour and, in some cases, criminal activity. Andy Burnham has pledged to end rough sleeping - we'd like to take him up on that. We need everyone to play their part - immigration, police and businesses so that we end this problem for good and this needs the urgent support of the Home Office.”
Chief Inspector Rav Pathania, the Met's lead for business crime, said new crime reporting technology is helping the force to identify offenders faster and bring more shoplifters to justice. He added: “By receiving CCTV footage and evidence directly from retailers at the point a crime is committed, we can build stronger cases and act more decisively.”
