POLICE have today evicted rough sleepers from an Oxford churchyard after a vicar reported drug use, anti-social behaviour and tent fires.

Officers found 'a large amount' of needles as they forced out those had erected tents in the graveyard of St Giles Church.

Police reminded people never to touch discarded needles and instead to report them to the city council as soon as possible.

Oxford Mail:

It comes as a new joint drug taskforce said the number of needles found on Oxford's streets had gone up from just over 4,100 in 2016 to 4,793 in 2017 - a rise of 15 per cent.

Rev Canon Dr Andrew Bunch at St Giles Church said earlier this week: “One of the problems we had earlier is people having fires and tents being burnt out, people urinating in the churchyard, rubbish strewn around and needles left.”

Aother vicar, Father Philip Ritchie from St Mary and St John Church in Cowley Road, has padlocked his chuchyard shut after a spate of 'brazen' drug use that has left neighbours and churchgoers worried.