ANGRY residents say Southend Council has taken too long to take legal action to remove rough sleepers who have set up a “tent city” on cliffs.

Homeless people have set up camps on cliffs opposite the Westcliff casino and are so at home they are putting up washing lines, parking shopping trollies and defecating in full view of the public.

The council is taking legal action but residents say it can’t happen soon enough.

Howard Leslie, 54, of Esplanade Gardens, Westcliff investigated the encampment after his girlfriend’s mother was mugged as she walked up the cliffs to her home.

He said: “I went to the cliffs where the tents are thinking whoever did it might have taken her cash and discarded her bag there and couldn’t believe what I found. There are about a dozen tents there. The mess and needles and garbage is absolutely disgusting. The stench of human excrement everywhere is appalling.”

Mr Leslie added: “My girlfriend’s mum and her friends are all now terrified to go out. Is the council waiting for someone to get stabbed before they do anything?”

Southend Council’s previous administration took out an injunction last year to removes rough sleepers from cliffs and beaches in Southend but Independent councillor, Martin Terry said the council is not doing enough to keep up the pressure on them.

He said: “We got these people moved on before but it seems to me the council has taken its eye off the ball. There are rough sleepers all over the town. People are afraid to use the High Street.

“We are trying to put Southend on the map but what does this say about our town?”

Mr Terry added: “There is someone using the shelter by the Westcliff Hotel as temporary accommodation. He’s put up a washing line on the railings.

“How can the council allow this to happen? It has got to stop.”

Ann Holland, councillor responsible for parks, said: “Camping on the cliffs is not an appropriate use of our parkland. This area has been subject to cliff slippage in the past and those camping are putting their own safety at risk, deterring residents and visitors from visiting our beautiful parks and causing many issues for local residents.”

Mrs Holland said the council was pursuing legal proceedings against the cliff dwellers for breaching the injunction taken out last year.

She said: “We have sought an urgent order for committal and the restoration of the original possession order and await the upcoming court hearing on October 20.”