Rough sleepers based at an encampment inches from a busy dual carriageway have been told no tents “being lived in” will be removed.

Police and city council officers were spotted at the makeshift site along the edge of Canterbury’s ring-road this morning.

The tents outside homelessness charity Catching Lives in Pin Hill are visible from the city wall and the bridge to Canterbury East railway station.

Concerns have been raised about how close the encampment is to the ring-road and that it could block the bus lane.

But those based at the site were given assurances by the council there was “no intention to remove any tents being lived in” or to “take away anything they identified as their possessions”.

So far, the local authority says everyone at the site has been offered accommodation – with locations found for 12 people.

City council spokesman Rob Davies confirmed its officers, police and its environmental team Canenco visited the encampment this morning to check on the welfare of the people there and clear away rubbish and abandoned items.

"It was a successful visit which began with reassurance that there was no intention to remove any tents being lived in or to take away anything that they identified as their possessions,” he said.

"The occupants were engaging and supported officers with this work in terms of identifying everything that could be removed.

"We impressed upon them again the importance of engaging with outreach services and that accommodation is available to them.

"Our offices have been working tirelessly with partners including Catching Lives, Public Health, Kent Police and Kent Fire and Rescue Service, visiting the encampment regularly for outreach work to try and support the individuals who have been using the site for sleeping at night and socialising during the day.”

He says the city council is working with several other people – many of whom have complex needs but are “transient and not always present” – to try and encourage them off the streets.

"Every individual at the site has had an offer of accommodation from us,” he added.

"All partners are continuing to work hard on this with a strong desire to bring this encampment to an end with permanent and safe accommodation found for all occupants."

Cllr Pip Hazelton told at a council meeting last night the authority is making “significant strides” in addressing rough sleeping in the district.

“It is important that we offer the right bed at the right time to people,” she said.

“So using accommodation through Porchlight, nightly paid temporary accommodation, private rented sector offers and our own stock, we have been able to offer each person we have confirmed to be sleeping in the area a housing pathway.

“I have another meeting with our officers, Kent Police, the fire service, community partners and hopefully Kent County Council next week."

Charity bosses told earlier this year how the use of the dangerous location along the edge of Canterbury’s ring road is a sign of how people are getting more desperate as homelessness increases.

Catching Lives CEO Tasmin Maitland previously said: “When people are then pitching their tents in areas that increase those risks, it’s a real worry.

“I think it does show how desperate people are and how few options they have that people are ending up in really unsafe locations for their tents, but their choices are limited.”

The array of tents at the intersection of the dual carriageway at Pin Hill and Station Road East has been in place for some weeks.

It is situated directly between the road, the back of Club Chemistry and the rear garden of Catching Lives’ day centre.

A police spokesman said: “Canterbury City Council and we carried out a joint visit to an area of land near Pin Hill, Canterbury this morning to carry out welfare checks and respond to concerns about potential obstruction of the highway.”

Police did not find an obstruction of the neighbouring bus lane following concerns the encampment could create one.

It is understood advice was given to those living there about this.