A group of homeless people have set up a makeshift camp in a park in Braintree.

For several weeks the men have been camped in the Bocking Blackwater Nature Reserve.

Among them is David Repman, 33, who has been homeless since November, when he was evicted from his flat in Braintree after getting into serious rent arrears.

He is a part time carer for his mother, and also has a daughter in Braintree whom he sees every two weeks.

Mr Repman said: “I fell into manic depression and I ended up with £1,500 rent arrears.

“I paid off as much as I could out of my benefits and then I couldn’t pay any more.

“I have slept in cities and in towns on the streets.

“I have travelled from place to place and I have been in night shelters but I feel safer camping.

“In the homeless shelter I found I was around a lot of negative people and I want to be away from that. There were a lot of drugs and alcohol involved.” Bob Wright was released from prison on August 23 with nowhere to go.

His mother lives in Great Dunmow, but he says he cannot stay with her because of family differences.

Mr Wright said: “Everyone kept telling me I wouldn’t be left like this but it just happened.

“I have thought about getting arrested and going back to prison to get a good sleep and a decent meal.

“I feel like I am just a number and I was just shoved out of the door.”

The 54-year-old, who worked as an engineer whilst inside prison, was recently attacked by a group of youths whilst sleeping rough at Braintree skatepark. They claim the council has told them there is little they can do for them.