CAMPAIGNERS are calling for action to protect rough sleepers after three deaths over the festive period.

A vigil has been organised for this afternoon after with the issue in Brighton and Hove having reached "breaking point".

On Sunday, a man called Casey – known as Taffy One Pence and Kevin – died on the street after a suspected legal high overdose.

Lesley 'Gareth' Raymond, who sold the Big Issue outside Waitrose in Western Road, Brighton, died on New Year’s Day after years sleeping on the street caught up with him.

A woman known as Caroline, who called the overhang outside the Waitrose store home, died just before Christmas.

As a result of the deaths, a vigil is being hosted by Love Activists Brighton at the Clocktower at 4pm today.

Simon Prestage, who would still be out on the streets had a friend not helped him out in 2013, knew both men.

The 41-year-old said: “It’s astonishing. We’ve reached breaking point and something has to be done.”

While Mr Raymond had managed to find his way into a home after years of battling the elements, Casey died on the streets.

Jason Roberts, operations manager at Grace’s lap dancing club in Brighton, Leeroy Zarghani from Boutique Bar and Danny Bedran of Pagoda Security Services, have decided to raise money to fund his funeral.

The trio, who will have buckets out in clubs across Brighton this weekend, have already raised £1,200.

They paid tribute to Casey who last summer empties his pockets for the families of the victims of the Shoreham Airshow disaster.

Mr Roberts said: “He was homeless, but he was a human being. I’d consider him a friend.

“When he wasn’t drunk he was brilliant in the community, helping break up fights and offering support to everyone.

“He had a drink problem, but you can’t blame him.

“The system failed him and he was a good guy and we just want to give him a send off

“One of the doorman’s friends was one of the victims of the Shoreham Airshow disaster, and Kevin (Casey) saw the bucket and put all his money in it.

“It’s quite ironic because we’re now raising money to him.”

Lee O’Leary, another of the suspected 78 people sleeping rough in the city, shared his sleeping space with Caroline.

He said: “She put her hand on my friend’s shoulder and said, ‘If anything happens to me, I want you to take care of my brother.

“Then she went into hospital and died overnight.”

Former Mayor of Brighton and Hove, Bill Randall, said there is no tougher task for the city’s administration than tackling homelessness and housing.

He said: “There’s not enough social housing and private rental rates are out of control.

“We need to be able to control them.”

“In my view, homelessness and housing is the single biggest problem facing our city today.”

WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MEET HIS NEEDS

The Argus: Casey - also known as Taffy One Pence or Kevin - giving all his money to the families of the Shoreham Airshow disaster victims

ANOTHER homeless person dies and becomes a Government statistic.

A faceless number who has watched thousands walk by his bed on the pavement to-ing and fro-ing from their cosy homes to busy work lives and back again.

We may toss them the odd coin or portion of lukewarm chips every now and then but behind glazed eyes is a human being.

One man got to know Casey, who died on Sunday, well while volunteering at the Love Activist Brighton street kitchen.

The volunteer, who did not want to be named, said: “Often wearing a onesie.

“Often off his head on various substances – affable, lively, full of fun and life.

“Casey was also an absolute nightmare sometimes.

“His proclivity to indulge himself in substances did frequently make him a liability to himself and others – but he was almost always funny with it.

“Casey needed the sort of complex, specialist care that one of the richest countries in the world should be able to provide.

“His death is a symptom of a growing problem which we have all been blinkered away from for far too long now.

“He is not a front page spread, he is a number. A deafeningly silent statistic, beyond the purview of government or the country’s leading national charities.

“Casey joins a long list of human beings who have perished on our streets recently, surrounded by mostly warm hearts with the very best of intentions and a few cruel people out for themselves.

“I’ll be honest about it – I found it quite hard to like Casey, but I offered him unconditional love, respect and forgiveness.

“I don’t think he liked me very much either but he respected me back.”

If Casey divided opinion, Gareth did not.

The Brighton Big Issue seller was loved by many. He died at home on New Year’s Day after a long-term illness.

He spent years on the streets before he was able to find a place to call home, but the damage had already been done.

Friends told The Argus his death was linked to heart problems brought on by alcohol abuse, and homelessness and alcoholism often go hand in hand.

Lee O’Leary, 39, who spent three years living under the canopy outside Waitrose in Western Road, Brighton, knew Gareth well.

Gareth had a dog called Cymro – a Welsh word meaning Welshman – which he dressed up as a reindeer over Christmas while he himself donned a Santa costume.

Cymro has been taken in by a friend.

Mr O’Leary said: “I lived under here for three years.

“You do build a bond – it’s a comradeship type of bond.

“He was Welsh like me, I’m from Cardiff and he was from the Valleys.

“He was an absolutely lovely fella.

“A booming smile and really, really positive.”

The team tasked with helping make sure there are no more deaths on the city’s streets is St Mungo’s.

The London-based group has been awarded the contract to run Brighton and Hove City Council’s Rough Sleeper Outreach Homelessness Service from September for three years.

It will have to do so with fewer people on the ground than the Crime Reduction Initiatives which came before it.

David Walton, outreach services development manager at St Mungo’s, said: “Rough sleeping is harmful and dangerous, and no one should have to sleep rough in this day and age.

“We’ll be working with people to tackle the particular problems that lead to them sleeping rough and aiming to connect them with services as needed, from housing to health services and into skills and work opportunities.”

The average age of someone who dies while homeless is 47.

It’s a problem that drastically needs resolving, though there does not seem to be an easy answer.

Philip Wills, London Road Area Local Action Team and minister at Calvary Church, in Viaduct Road, said: “I’m not sure there’s an easy way to fix it.

“Brighton and Hove seems to attract people who have had troubled lives in various ways and it’s not always easy to fix something like that.”

His concerns are echoed by former mayor of Brighton and Hove, Bill Randall.

He said: “St Mungo’s has a really good track record, but they are up against it.

“Last year the number of under-21s sleeping rough in Brighton and Hove was up 30 per cent and with benefit changes coming up, 44 per cent of those people are going to be affected – so it doesn’t look good for that age group.

“Half of young people are on the streets because of family breakdowns and many were in care before so these people don’t have a safety net or anyone they can go back to.

“It’s not just a homelessness problem either, it’s private rented rates being too high.

“However good St Mungo’s is, they’ve got a considerable battle on their hands.

“There are already 33 groups working to fight homelessness in the city, so we need to see a better co-ordination between those organisations, but the situation does not leave much room for optimism.

“In my view, homelessness and housing is the single biggest problem facing our city today. There’s not enough social housing and private rental rates are out of control. 

“We need to be able to control them.”

OPINION: DRUGS ARE THE PROBLEM WE MUST BE ADDRESSING
By Andy Winter, chief executive of Brighton Housing Trust, which provides support to many of the poorest people in the city.

OF COURSE, everyone is affected emotionally by the death of a homeless person, but it’s so important to know the circumstances of how these people died so that we can deal with it.

“If it’s hypothermia – then it’s a homeless issue, but if it’s drug overdoses then it’s a deeper problem. 

“If we can clear the issue of rough sleeping in Brighton and Hove and there are still drug overdose deaths, then there is still work to be done. 

“Having said that, we have seen a reduction in the number of overdoses in the last year. 

“There are calls for us to open up empty buildings, but I would be extremely concerned if that was to happen as it could result in even more problems.

“The last thing I want to see is people cram into an empty building, a fire breaks out, and a dozen people die.

“As for St Mungo’s, it’ll be hard for them coming into an area they are not familiar with. 

“They’ve got a fair way to go.”