Shoppers strolling around the iconic Hanley Town Hall in Albion Street stumbled upon a rather embarrassing sight this week—a semi-naked man, blissfully sunbathing in the middle of Hanley without a care in the world!
The inane incident was sighted outside BBC Radio Stoke's building and shared with StokeonTrentLive by a passerby on Saturday. The photograph was taken to shed light on the routine challenges the city center faced ever since the lockdown was lifted. The latest incident is amid stringent and proactive efforts that have gone into improving Hanley as part of Operation Sparkle, an initiative from the Stoke-on-Trent Business Improvement District (BID) and Stoke-on-Trent City Council. It has seen flowers planted, graffiti scrubbed off, bins installed, sculptures erected and benches replaced.
The photograph came with a caption, as cited in Daily Star, that read: “The driver and pedestrians were shocked to see the guy on the floor with no kegs on. It looked like he was off his t*ts. There was a security guard in close proximity along with the old bill. It's not something you want to see in broad daylight in the city centre but unfortunately, it’s becoming a regular sight. It’s a real shame what’s happening to Hanley with drug addicts, drunks, and begging everywhere.”
There has been a disturbing rise in rough sleepers and aggressive beggars wreaking havoc amid the pandemic and its protracted lockdowns. In a similar instance, shopper Steve Clews, as cited in the media outlet, was harassed by an overtly persuasive beggar after he refused to hand over spare change. The incident had occurred close to the HSBC in Crown Bank.
Shortly after, Clews witnessed another disturbing trend among rough sleepers, who allegedly stole posts from the letterbox of the nightclub Pink. He has been a strong advocator of change, after witnessing a spate of harrowing incidents in and around the city center.
“Just the other day I was getting off the bus in Hanley and there was a man sleeping on the floor. I nearly fell over him,” said the 36-year-old, from Meir Park, adding, “There was another man walking around with one trainer on.
It's not a great impression for when people first arrive in Stoke-on-Trent. I've rung 101 but it just seems pointless as you can be on the phone for hours. It's pretty much every time I'm in Hanley that I see something. Nothing ever seems to get done. They just said they'd send someone down to take a look. It's difficult but it's no wonder Hanley is dying because no one likes going there anymore. It's just not a nice atmosphere.”
Addressing the issues that Hanley witnessed last week, Richard Buxton, from the BID, said: “We are working with partners to create a welcoming city for our visitors and will continue to do so. Operation Sparkle is an ongoing process to deliver this goal.”
