Graham Egerton does not exist according to homeless figures. In fact there is no-one like him in the borough.

Statistics from the Government's Rough Sleepers Unit (RSU) put the number of people sleeping on Barnet's streets at zero.

Mr Egerton, 67, who has been sleeping under the arches of Ferrydale Lodge at the corner of Church Road and Parson Street, Hendon, for the past year, begs to differ.

Unshaven and wrapped up against the biting cold, he cuts a familiar figure to passers-by.

"It is ridiculous. People sleeping rough are scattered around tunnels and parks," Mr Egerton told the Times Group.

"There are quite a few in Ballards Lane and Tally Ho. They have got their own pitch."

Joe Lee, director of Homeless Action in Barnet (HAB), described the results of the RSU count as scandalous.

He says at least 30 rough sleepers visit the charity in Woodhouse Road, North Finchley, several times a week. But the total number in Barnet could be double that, he added.

"If there aren't any rough sleepers then why are we here? We serve rough sleepers almost 100 meals every day," said Mr Lee.

"I just think that is scandalous because of the implications."

An RSU spokeswoman defined a rough sleeper as "a person who is bedded down in the open air or in a place which is not fit for human habitation anyone literally on the streets."

The one-night snapshot of people sleeping rough was conducted last month. She said the figures, submitted by Barnet Council, were a "fair reflection" of the borough's problem.

"It the council is not saying there aren't homeless people in Barnet," the spokeswoman added. "The key issue is whether there are any rough sleepers the answer to that is probably none or very few."

But Barnet Council was quick to distance itself from the survey.

"This does not mean it is our view there are no rough sleepers in Barnet. The figure of nil is based on the criteria we are asked to follow," a council spokesman said.

But Mr Lee added: "It just goes to show it is how you count and what the criteria is for counting people. If you are walking around the streets trying to count people rough sleeping at night you won't see them because they try and get themselves into a corner and somewhere more secure."

December 28, 2001 10:43

IAN LLOYD