SUPERMARKET staff who were seen throwing away sleeping bags and blankets belonging to rough sleepers have been slammed by those affected.

Last week, bosses from the Morrisons store in Blackburn admitted that they had taken action against the homeless who had been using their multi-storey carpark for shelter, saying they had thrown away items belonging to individuals after consultation with the council.

Management at the store admitted to taking the action after eyewitnesses reported seeing uniformed staff loading items that had been stored in a ventilation unit into a trolley for disposal.

They later said the supermarket had been warned the items were causing a safety risk. And that efforts had been made to inform those storing items in the unit of the situation before they were disposed of.

But their actions have now been dubbed as ‘disgraceful’ by rough sleepers who have used the carpark for shelter in the past.

Rough sleeper Danielle, who can often be found outside the Ladbrokes on Ainsworth Street in Blackburn was one of those whose items were thrown away.

She said: “It’s bad enough that we have to sleep out in the cold during winter but to have our items taken away from us is another thing. A pop up tent was taken which we used to keep the wind off us.

“We were given hardly any notice to remove our belongings but by the time we got there they were gone.

“They were our survival items. How else are we supposed to survive without them?”

VIDEO: Homeless people sleeping in Blackburn Morrisons car park

Blackburn supermarket admits to throwing away rough sleepers' belongings

Rossendale man James, who has been homeless for five months, said: “They don’t understand that for some people, a blanket or sleeping bag could be the difference between life and death. It is that simple.

“When you’re living out in the cold you depend on knowing that you have the ability to be warm.

“I’ve had my things taken before when they’ve been stored during the day, and it leaves you feeling helpless.”

James, who can often be found playing the tin whistle outside Marks and Spencer on King Street, said he had been friends with homeless man Andrew Davie who died outside of the Boots on Townsmoor Retail Park in December.

He said: “Of course nobody knows for sure how he died, but the cold would not have helped. He would have been freezing.”

When the Lancashire Telegraph revealed the news about the Blackburn store last week, another supermarket in Halifax admitted to being caught in a similar situation after staff were seen removing a tent from their premises.

The actions come at a time when homelessness in Blackburn was found to be at a record high, with as many as 13 people sleeping rough on the town’s streets at any one time.

Chairman of homeless charity Community Spirit Neil Mistry works closely with people in the town who have found themselves homeless,and said he had his concerns about how the situation had been handled.

He said: “We found out about the issue as soon as it happened, as we were out on outreach that evening.

“We were told that some people had been left with no sleeping bags and mats, and we were able to ensure they got new ones as we always keep fresh supplies.

“It is a difficult situation for everyone involved, but I would have some concerns about how thoroughly the supermarket was able to issue their notice, as it would have been hard to let some of the homeless known about their intentions due to the fact they only use the carpark when the store is closed. The likelihood is that staff would have tried to issue the notice during the day when they were out in the town and not on the premises.”