Homeless man in coma had been evicted after facing '˜bedroom tax', claim

Carl Notely, aged 52, was taken to the Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, after the incident in the early hours of Wednesday, August 10, and was in a coma after the incident outside the British heart Foundation Shop on Printing Office Street. Today it emerged that he had been made homeless from his council home after being hit by the so-called bedroom tax.

It was also claimed he had been thrown out of his home due to rent arrears.

Mr Notely was injured in the doorway of the shop where he had been sleeping, and the incident has sparked concern for the safety of homeless people in the borough

The M25 housing charity, which helps homeless people across the borough, has warned Doncaster was facing a “deepening problem” as a result of the lack of availability and provision of advice and support services to some of the town’s most vulnerable people.

Joyce Foster, executive director of the M25 Housing & Support Group, said: “The current rise in the number of people affected by homelessness in Doncaster is truly alarming.

This...also comes at a time when public attention is being diverted on to problems in Doncaster’s town centre with street begging.

“What happened to Carl was a direct result of his vulnerabilities that come with a life on the streets. This...had nothing whatsoever to do with street begging. Unless urgent actions are taken that hold statutory agencies with responsibility for homelessness services to account to improve access to advice and support for people affected by homelessness, I really fear that what happened to Carl will increasingly happen to other vulnerable people on Doncaster’s streets – there is a real risk that this...becomes commonplace and accepted.”

A Doncaster Council spokesperson, said: “We have made significant investment to support homeless people in Doncaster. In 2015, we commissioned a homeless accommodation and support service, provided by Riverside Care and Support, which includes 24/7 support at two hostels, Wharf House and Open House Plus, and an outreach service where Riverside proactively engage with rough sleepers with a view to supporting them into accommodation.

“We will continue to work with our partners to address the issues of homelessness.”

A spokesman for St Leger Homes said: “We are genuinely sorry to hear of the situation that Mr Notley is currently in.