A councillor has said resources are too stretched to take on more rough sleepers in Southend.

Martin Terry, Independent councillor for Thorpe, has responded to criticism from One Love Soup Kitchen about his comments on homeless community aid and his view that it cannot be sustained.

He said: “People said that I do not care about the homeless, that is not the case.

“I feel we have been unfairly put upon by other councils and it is not right.

“It puts unsustainable pressure on our volunteer services.”

Laureen Shaw, 61, of The Laxtons in Rochford, was one of the volunteers from the soup kitchen who were critical of Mr Terry’s comments.

Mrs Shaw said that she had asked Mr Terry to visit the soup kitchen to see the work the group does first hand.

She said: “I was appalled by the comments he made, and I have invited him to come to see the street sleepers at our soup kitchen.

“I do not like the attitude that if we keep feeding and clothing them, they will stay on the streets.”

Mr Terry said that he does fully support the work of the volunteer groups and the council who help rough sleepers to live better lives.

However, he showed concern that their work needed to be aimed at getting more people off the streets.

He said: “I fully support the objective of the council and volunteers to get people off the street, but more and more people are coming to the town because London boroughs are struggling for accommodation.

“It is not fair on the existing rough sleepers in Southend who have needs or the town either.

“I have to act as a representative, I get a lot of residents complaining about the issue and that is why I have spoken out on it.”

Mrs Shaw in working with One Love

She added: “I think it is upsetting that a councillor thinks that giving someone a hat and a pair of gloves, and they go away to sleep on the cold concrete, that they would want to stay on the street longer, that is not the case.

“It is a basic need that people want, and hot food and drink.”