The council are working to resolve the issue.
Brighton and Hove City Council have been forced to apologise following a breach of procedure.
This comes after they broke their own rules in dealing with a homeless citizen.
They removed a homeless man’s possessions, including his tent, from Madeira Drive.
However, they then disposed of these possessions, despite this not being the correct step.
A statement released by the Council has explained the mishap.
The usual measure is as follows: “If the council does have to remove someone’s belongings, the items are stored for 28 days, unless hazardous.”
They should then inform the citizen of this: “A note is left saying where the items were taken and giving information on how they can be claimed.”
In this instance, this was not carried out.
They were entitled to remove the items, with policy stating that: “Belongings are only allowed to be removed if no owner is present on two occasions and the items appear abandoned, unless there is a health and safety issue or the owner tells us they do not want them.”
Errors were made following this though, and now the Council are aiming to avoid future problems: “The officer concerned was new in their role and further training has been provided to ensure staff know to follow the agreed procedures when tents are found on council land.”
They issued an apology and are actively seeking to help the homeless man who was wrongly treated: “Again we are sorry that on this occasion the procedures were not followed in full. We’re working with partners, including St Mungo’s, to support the individual in their complaint.”