According to figures from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN), of the 1,200 new rough sleepers in London, ten per cent were living inside the world's second busiest airport — the largest number on record.
Emergency measures as temperatures plummet @ThamesReach @LDNStreetRescue http://t.co/ZJQNzAswdn
— Taff (@Taff_dutch) February 3, 2015
CHAIN found 103 rough sleepers at the airport between October and December 2014, compared with 54 in 2013. Although most were classed as ‘intermittent' rough sleepers, around 30 were said to be regulars.
The airport is the perfect place for rough sleepers to get lost in any one of the main terminals that are warm and have toilets.
Record numbers of 'hidden homeless' living at Heathrow. Many of whom are in work http://t.co/hukJ5l1MqF #homelesslondon
— SFTS (@SFTSLondon) February 5, 2015
Mike Nicholas, of the housing charity Thames Reach, told the Evening Standard:
"Heathrow has many facilities attractive to homeless people. It is covered, has quality toilet and shower facilities, plenty of seating areas with free phone charging and is secure. It is also fairly easy to be anonymous at an airport and go unnoticed."
Heathrow's Homeless Dress Code
Heathrow's chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: "About 18 months ago, when lots of flights were cancelled, I went around the airport at midnight. There was a very well-dressed gentleman with a few suitcases and I asked if we could put him up in a hotel for a night and give him a meal.
"He said, ‘No, I couldn't do that, I'm not actually travelling anywhere'. You wouldn't have known to look at him and he was very proud. It took a long time till we could persuade him to have somewhere warm to sleep and a meal. He didn't want to accept charity."
Heathrow is patrolled by Heathrow Travel Care, a crisis social services team based in Terminal 3, whose outreach workers regularly walk around the terminals during the night to identify people who are sleeping rough. They are then offered reconnection advice and directed to further assistance during office hours for housing, detoxification, employment, medical services and the benefits system.
Some rough sleepers at Heathrow have used camouflage, over the years, to avoid being detected as being homeless. Some have been found wearing bright floral shirts and bum-bags, attempting to blend in with people on their way to exotic destinations like Hawaii.
Others take advantage of free newspapers and hide behind them to avoid detection, while some cover up and hunker down under benches. The more resourceful rifle through trash bins to find duty free bags or store bags from the likes of Burberry and Alexander McQueen to look like through-passengers.
