A GROUP to help homeless people has reacted to criticism after their founder incorrectly said that a homeless person had died in a tent.

Sharon Multani of Worcester Street Cafe has refuted allegations that the organisation has no “safeguarding policy” after an allegation from Hugo’s Earthquake, a group set up by campaigner for homeless people Hugo Sugg.

The backlash followed an incorrect message put out by the street cafe which said that a homeless person had died in a tent last week.

A statement on the group’s Facebook page said: “Worcester Street Cafe wish to advise everyone we are in liaison with Worcestershire County Council Safeguarding Team and that a Safeguarding Policy has been drafted.

"The majority of our volunteers are DBS checked regarding vulnerable adults and the few that are not are supervised.

“We have been informed that the information we were given about someone having been found deceased in a tent was not accurate.

“As soon as we discovered this we amended our posts. We did all we could to verify the information first thing this morning and we are sorry to have caused anxiety.”

A spokesman for Hugo’s Earthquake said the group was concerned about the false claim, adding: "“After talking to Worcester Street Cafe, we have established that this organisation has no safeguarding policy or procedure to deal with any issues homeless people have.

“We urge Worcester Homeless Cafe to terminate all work with homeless people until a safeguarding policy, designated safeguarding officer and information sharing protocol have been created and shown to the Worcester Homelessness Forum."

“Working with the homeless is not an easy task, and we urge community groups in Worcestershire and beyond to act very carefully about how they go about their kind-natured work because it may have the opposite effect.”