A campaign group has called on Medway Council to open up emergency shelters for homeless people.

Medway Justice for Homeless People has pledged to turn up the heat on the council to deal with the growing numbers of rough sleepers across the Towns.

Volunteers who directly help about 100 homeless people joined housing activists, political campaigners and others at a meeting at the Coopers Arms in Rochester.

Spokesman Guy Jordan said: “We have two clear demands. First, no one sleeping rough should be forced back into shop doorways and the council should withdraw its eviction notices immediately.

“Second, they should requisition some of the many abandoned buildings in Medway and convert them into emergency shelters with specialist support.

“It’s criminal that up to 200 people may be sleeping in the open this Christmas only yards from places that could be a safe haven with the minimum expense.

“The council have told us of a ‘blue light’ service that is supposed to target support for the most vulnerable on our streets but that clearly isn’t working.

"What’s more, they are relying on volunteers, charities and outsourced agencies to do the work they should be doing themselves.”

The call comes after the council evicted a group of people sleeping in tents in woodland off Marlborough Road in Gillingham.

There are thought to be about 250 rough sleepers in Medway every night.

Steve Dyke, from Medway Green Party, said: “We are told there is a lot of work going on with various agencies doing their best to provide and find homes but that progress is slow, particularly as there are two to three new homeless people, in Gillingham alone, every week.

The group, set up following the death of Samson Paine in Chatham earlier this year, will be highlighting the issue in the run-up to Christmas.

Members plan to protest at council meetings, hold demonstrations during the Dickensian Christmas festival in Rochester and the Christmas lights switch-ons in Chatham and Gillingham.

Outreach group One Big Family held their first soup kitchen in Chatham last week.

As well as handing out homemade soup, hot pizza slices, crusty bread, hot drinks, banana bread and donuts, they also distributed gloves, hats, underwear and toiletries.

Posting on Facebook they said: “It was cold but there were 10 people waiting when we turned up, two of the guys put the serving table up, while the others helped unload the car.

“One guy was so cold he was struggling to hold his cup, so we put him a hat and gloves on and gave him a couple of extra layers to wear. Everyone loved the food, and most people also took gloves, hats, underwear and toiletries.

“One lady was very cold and had lost most of her possessions - instead of carrying her new warm clothing she decided to wear it - she left with eight layers on and a big smile.”

The soup kitchen was visited by 15 people.