HOMELESS people have warned they have effectively been banned from Paddington Station, as temperatures plunge below freezing.

A rough sleeper contacted Extra with concerns about people being “evicted” from the station.

His unnamed letter made a “desperate plea” to the chief executive of Network Rail, which manages the station, for a change of heart. It said: “I was told that ‘we are being evicted’ from the station.

“Over the last month, especially, waiting rooms have been closed, excluding cold people, and toilets were closed.

“One man I know has a stoma. I myself have a continence problem.”

Extra reporters visiting the station on Tuesday were told by staff that rough sleepers had been moved out by security teams.

A man outside the station said he had been sleeping inside the station for a few months, but at the end of December he and others were told to leave.

The Extra understands one of the main entrances to the station is being guarded by security to prevent homeless people from entering or pitching tents to sleep in.

The letter added: “It’s becoming cold.

“And it is worsening over the next few days. Even I, inside somewhere (not home) feel cold as I am writing to you, trying to write.

“I am so worried about my fellow homeless people. I’m so worried. The stations are not ideal. Not at all. I tried to survive in St Pancras, where the environment was even more hostile than Paddington.”

In 2020 Network Rail committed to support rough sleepers and met charities and the then transport secretary at the time in Paddington station to sign the “first pan-industry homelessness charter” to support a route out of homelessness for every rough sleeper.

All of the concerns raised by the homeless man’s letter were put to Network Rail.

In a statement a spokes-person responded: “We’re aware of the challenging circumstances for people experiencing homelessness across London, particularly at this time of year.

“Due to the amenities that they provide, train and coach stations naturally attract those seeking shelter.

“We work with local authorities, including Westminster City Council and the police, to seek assistance for those that need it.

“We do need to move people if they are disturbing passengers, exhibiting anti-social behaviour or loitering in the station blocking entrances and creating operational risks.”