A mayor in south-western France has been accused of a shameful lack of Christmas spirit after banishing homeless people from the city centre by placing metal cages over public benches.
Critics said that erecting the cages on Christmas Eve suggested a total dearth of "empathy" on the part of Xavier Bonnefont, Angouleme's 34-year-old Right-wing mayor, for those without a roof over their heads.
Joel Guitton, deputy mayor in charge of security, defended the move, saying the benches were "almost exclusively used by people who consume alcohol on a regular basis". Report in the Telegraph by Henry Samuel
Val says How can we support buying warm coats with sleeping bags and then get an idiotic unfeeling Mayor in SW France being so lacking in humanity, and what an absolute waste of OUR money. Spend money on shelters for the homeless not cages. Your life may have gone well Monsieur le Maire but that is not the case for many homeless people.
Our adage " there but for the grace of God go I"
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