Homeless community forced to leave park

Concerns had been raised by members of the community about the illegal encampment, which consisted of eight tents next to the tennis courts.

The council obtained a possession order for the park and moved the group on with the help of a team of bailiffs and Sussex Police.

John Mitchell, director for communities at Adur & Worthing councils, said: “The council acted as swiftly as it could within the law to move the group on. Our housing services team has been involved since the group arrived, coordinating efforts with Worthing Churches Homeless Projects, to offer help and support as appropriate.

“When the bailiffs arrived, the group in the park accepted that their time in the park had come to an end and packed up their tents and belongings. Our parks team has collected four tents and some other items, and will securely store them until their owners come forward.”

The park has been cleared of residual waste by the council’s cleansing team.