A HOMELESS man who is set to be evicted from his tent in Southend Cliff Gardens told how he is being treated “unfairly” and has nowhere else to go.

The Echo revealed yesterday that Southend Council has applied to the county court for an injunction to remove people living on the picturesque hills off the gardens, in Western Esplanade.

When our reporter visited the site yesterday, there were three tents in a small, fenced-off conservation area.

The area was strewn with rubbish, including the remains of camp fires, half cooked food, tins and broken tents.

Just one man was there at the time of our visit. He said other people had chosen to move on rather than face bailiffs.

Giving his name as John Smith, the man said: “This was a real little community and to be honest we just shrug it off. The council always wants to move us but we have nowhere else to go.

“It’s completely unfair. We are not bothering anyone. Would they rather we sleep on the streets or in the parks?

“Everyone knows it’s dangerous in Southend. I have been attacked, I’ve been punched and people have tried to kill me. This is a peaceful area where we take refuge.”

When the Echo visited the site in August, there were seven tents and 11 residents living in the area. One of them was former bricklayer Tracey Johnson, who said her life fell apart in 2009 because of a losing battle with alcohol.

The 44-year-old said she soon moved onto the secluded area and spent four years living alone on the scrubland, which is fenced off from the paths and gardens overlooking the Genting Club casino on the seafront.

Other homeless people joined her. She said at the time: “I feel it’s safer for me up here. It’s hard to live on the streets as a woman, people have tried to attack me before.”

Mrs Johnson’s tent is no longer there and it is not known when she left.

Southend Council said the court action is a last resort to remove the campers. A notice was served to “persons unknown” this week and anyone living on the site must attend Southend County Court on Monday.