BOURNEMOUTH’S homeless population could leap by more than 30 people in one day – if plans put forward by a company owned by Harry Redknapp get the go-ahead.

The millionaire football manager, who was recently crowned as I'm A Celebrity's King of the Jungle and also handed out jam roly-poly at Christmas to Bournemouth’s rough sleepers, has been accused of ‘wanting to make money at our expense’ by one formerly homeless man.

Mr Redknapp is one of two directors of Pierfront Properties which wants to convert the Belgravia Hotel in Christchurch Road into 14 luxury flats with five mews houses in the grounds. The plans are under consideration by Bournemouth Borough Council with a target date for decision of April 3.

The hotel is leased by octogenarians Gerry and Wendy Hunt who have run it as a hotel for homeless people since 1988.

Unlike most private accommodation in the town, the Hunts don’t require hefty deposits from their 29 tenants and claim that when they are forced to go on May 6 their tenants, as well as themselves and their daughter, Karen, who helps run the business, will be homeless.

Karen said: “We had it as a hotel at first, and then there was the recession and so my parents started taking in students, then some homeless.” She said that all the residents are now ex-prisoners or former homeless people whose lives had been ‘transformed’ by being able to have a stable home and address.

She claimed the family had not been able to renegotiate the lease following its sale to Pierfront in 2016 and that they received a visit from a representative of the company on January 30. “We informed them we hadn’t had our three month notice so it was set a couple of days from that date,” she said.

Plans for the site include the construction of five new mews houses which will mean the demolition of the coach house at the back where her parents live. “So they’ll be homeless, my brother will be homeless and I’ll be out of a job because I work here,” she said.

Residents at the home have protested to the council with Mr Hyde explaining what the property means to him. “I have found security and stability since I moved into the Belgravia when I was classed as homeless and having other health issues due to me losing my employment,” he said.

Mrs Wendy Hunt has been quoted as saying that Harry Redknapp should hand over some of his £500,000 I’m a Celebrity winnings to help her residents.

A spokesman for Pierfront Properties, whose directors are Harry and Sandra Redknapp, and which is based in London have said: “In August 2018 Mr and Mrs Hunt signed a consent order, and notice was served in February to vacate the property by May 6. All legal proceedings were dealt with by both representatives’ solicitors.”

A spokesman for the borough council urged all residents who think they are at risk of

homelessness to make contact with the Council's Housing Options Team at the Town Hall as soon as possible.