Charity claims man 'evicted' from emergency accommodation during cold snap for photographing empty beds

In a statement today the charity said: "While ICHH volunteers were unable to secure a bed for rough sleepers last Tuesday night, despite assurances that there is a bed for everyone that needs it, these beds sat empty.

"This is not the first time we have seen someone highlight what is going on in emergency accommodation only to have consequences for their actions.

"We constantly speak to individuals and families in emergency accommodation that are afraid to speak their mind or complain about anything for fear of being asked to leave."

"People should be able to raise concerns and complaints without fear of retribution otherwise services will never improve."

ICHH CEO Anthony Flynn revealed the situation on Twitter, saying: "An individual was EVICTED by a state-funded hostel. This is pure systemic bad management and because it’s being exposed an individual is being punished."

Mr Flynn said: “People are being punished for highlighting conditions within homeless service facilities. On one night last week, 96 people slept rough whilst up to 15 beds lay empty within this facility.

"This is not uncommon within homeless services and is sheer bad management. We have an incompetent system that does not work and we need to address this.

"These beds were not empty because people chose not to use hostels, they were empty because of failures within the system and the fact that anyone is being punished for highlighting how badly the system is failing people is totally unacceptable in my opinion.

"The person in question has now been moved miles outside of the city to another unit. It is a clear punishment for speaking out.”