Bournemouth council say they did not remove the bedding and belongings of the homeless man, named locally as Kevin, who was found dead on Monday.

Councillor Robert Lawton, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “We are very saddened to hear of the death of this gentleman.

"To be clear, we can confirm that the council did not remove his bedding and belongings and we have been attempting to engage with him for the last 10 years.”

He said the St Mungo’s rough sleeper outreach team had been offering support to Kevin on a regular basis.

“However, for whatever reason, he felt unable to take up any of this support and regretfully turned down ongoing offers of help for his health and accommodation,” he said.