Dozens of people attended a demonstration against controversial plans to tackle anti-social behaviour in Birmingham city centre.

Campaigners rallied on the doorstep of the council house on Tuesday afternoon voicing concerns that a Public Space Protection Order would target and criminalise rough sleepers.

The protest came as the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner backed the proposal .

While the Labour-run Birmingham City Council also issued a staunch defence of its plans which would prohibit various types of behaviour including begging, obstructing footpaths, street-drinking, taking drugs and being verbally abusive.

Campaign organiser Jo Shemmans addresses the gathering in Victoria Square.
Campaign organiser Jo Shemmans addresses the gathering in Victoria Square.

The three-year order would give council and police officers powers to disperse individuals and groups and issue fines but there would also be requirements to refer vulnerable offenders on to relevant support services.

Addressing more than 50 people in Victoria Square campaign organiser Jo Shemmans said: "Sleeping in a doorway is not a crime if you don't have a home, asking for a few pence for a cup of tea is not a crime if you don't have recourse to public funds.

"We accept that Birmingham City Council want to keep our streets safe, but we don't feel that homeless people should bare the brunt."

Concerns were also expressed by some Labour councillors, including Kerry Jenkins (Moseley) who said: "This order in the way it's currently written will result in the criminalisation of poverty, and these proposals if agreed in their current state present a real danger of impacting disproportionately on some of our most vulnerable citizens."

Campaign organiser Jo Shemmans.
Campaign organiser Jo Shemmans.

Fellow backbencher Cllr Majid Mahmood (Bromford and Hodge Hill) was one of several speakers who pointed the finger for the rise in homelessness at the Conservative Government. He said: "If somebody is forced to beg or spend the night on a public bench, that's not a lifestyle choice or anti-social behaviour - that's extreme poverty, poverty which is at its worst due to Tory austerity.

"The council should focus on finding ways to help the most vulnerable - not criminalise them and slap them with fines they can't possibly pay."

Simon Foster, of the Community Law Partnership, warned that a PSPO would simply displace homeless people from one part of Birmingham to another and argued the government needed to do more to prevent evictions from private tenancies which he said was the 'single greatest cause of homelessness in this country'.

Other contributors included former Dudley Council leader Pete Lowe (Lye and Stourbridge North), regional Unison secretary Ravi Subramanian as well as former rough sleepers.

Cllr Kerry Jenkings
Cllr Kerry Jenkins
Cllr Majid Mahmood.
Cllr Majid Mahmood.

While Jae Robinson, chair of Birmingham Unite Community, took personal aim at council leader Ian Ward claiming he only wanted to impose a PSPO to clean up the city centre for the Commonwealth Games in 2022 .

Full statement from Birmingham City Council 

In response a council spokeswoman said: "We can categorically state that the proposed Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) has in no way been designed to target homelessness or rough sleeping and we have no intention to ever do so.

"This proposal has been made following a significant increase in incidents, public complaints and intelligence reports that have been received by the council over the past 12 months regarding crime and anti-social behaviour and the increase in youth violence in the city.

Simon Foster of the Community Law Partnership.
Simon Foster of the Community Law Partnership.

"Having this PSPO in place will help us to protect the public, which includes the homeless community.

"There are a number of individuals who will try to take advantage of people from within the homeless community through drugs, bullying or displaying anti-social behaviour towards them.

"As well as considering the consultation results, we are working with organisations who are on the frontline supporting rough sleepers and tackling homelessness in our city: this includes further consultation with the Homelessness Partnership Board, to ensure we get this right.

"Housing and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee are also set to consider this issue, take further evidence and make recommendations before any final decisions are taken over the introduction of this particular PSPO.

"To be clear, we will not be taking any final decisions until these steps are completed and everyone has had the chance to contribute and share their views.”