A “HOMELESS ghetto” has been created in a Basildon town centre car park with a host of tents and bedding spotted by residents.

At least six tents have been set up in Basildon’s Great Oaks Car Park, with sheets hanging around the tents being used as curtains.

Basildon Council has insisted it has not found anyone living in the car park during recent checks, only “discarded belongings”.

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But when the Echo visited the car park, the tents were set up surrounding a table and chairs, complete with mugs, cutlery, and rubbish.

Thick black sheeting, duvets and bedsheets cover walls and barriers as wind breaks and protection - with a trolley stacked with clothes.

One resident said it had become a “homeless ghetto”.

They added: “They have a number of tents and the walls and barriers are draped in duvets to presumably act as windbreaks. There was even a fire going like you’d see in a film set in the alleys of New York.

“As you can imagine, rubbish and the strong smell of urine is not exactly what you expect.”

Echo:

The small camp in the car park​

Phil Turner, former Tory leader of the council, added: “This is a really sad sight and when we were in administration we didn’t have a homeless problem and we worked to help break the cycle.

“It doesn’t matter what but we’ve got to something to support these people.”

Basildon Council bosses insists it is doing all it can to help the homeless.

A Basildon Council spokesman said: “Officers haven’t found anyone living there in recent visits to be able to help any individuals.

“Tents were found along with discarded belongings. On previous visits we’ve only been able to identify one person staying there, but in the most recent visits there wasn’t anyone found.

“The site has been visited regularly by officers to identify and engage with any individuals and to provide support and offer accommodation to any people verified as sleeping rough in the borough.”