"This is What Happens to Homeless People"
More than 60 homeless people were victims of violent attacks in Brighton in 2012, a shocking 61% increase from the previous year. Robert Putland, one of 2013's latest victims, says being homeless automatically makes you an easy target.
Robert Putland, 43, became the victim of an unprovoked attack in Brighton when he was headbutted in the face while he was asleep.
The incident, which left Robert with a swollen black eye and a persistent headache, happened just hours before him attending Crossover Brighton's Street Kitchen event at St Peter's Church.
Robert, an ex marine who also worked as a chef and a butler to the Queen Mother, said that homeless people are higher at risk of becoming victims of a violent attack as they are perceived to be an easy target.
He said: "It happens, but nobody notices it or speaks about it. Nobody cares about homeless people, it's as if we don't count as human beings.
"What upset me about this (attack) is that I wasn't even given the chance to fight back. With the training I received in the army, I could have done far more damage to the guy if I wanted to, but he just headbutted me and ran. I was a random target. Something to laugh about with his friends. That's what f***ing p****s me off."
Information obtained from a Freedom of Information request revealed that 62 attacks against homeless people were reported to Sussex Police last year, three of them being of a sexual nature.
However Robert says that these figures are likely to be much higher in reality, as most incidents go unreported.
Some attacks have been so violent that they ended in tragedy, the most recent one being the discovery of the badly beaten body of a 45-year-old homeless man earlier this year.
According to the police, Lea Williams was beaten to death and sustained "horrific head wounds" after being attacked on Hove seafront where he was sleeping in an archway.
Just two months later, a group of people set fire to a homeless man while he was asleep. The fire spread from his sleeping bag to his clothes within seconds and was only saved after passers by rushed to help him.
At the time of the attack, Sarah Mitchell, the service manager for the Rough Sleepers Street Services, told the Argus this was a very rare incident, and that she could recall "only one other incident like it" in her "12 years here" however Sussex police confirmed that four incidents of homeless people being set alight have been reported in the last few years.
Robert states that these attacks happen more often than what people think. He said: "When you are homeless, nobody is your friend. You have to stay alert all the time because you never know when will be the next time you could be at risk."
Similarly, Glen Wallace and his wife Simone, said that being homeless is like living in a concrete jungle. They were both sleeping just metres away from the man who was set alight on the night of the incident.
Glen said: "People are attacked all the time, and it can get out of hand very quickly and very easily. You never know what's going to happen to you."
Simone said being a woman on the streets can prove to be even more challenging, as she nearly got raped by two different men.
She said: "It's very dangerous and very scary if I'm honest. We go to sleep every night not knowing if we are going to be here the next day."
Watch Simone's Testimony
Listen to Robert's Testimony
At the same time Sussex Police have confirmed that nine homeless people have been murdered in Brighton last year, with most of them having been beaten to death.
Sergeant Richard Siggs of Brighton Neighbourhood Police Team said: "We know that there is an extreme level of violence in the street community and it is something that we are desperately trying to address."
Sgt Siggs and street community officer PC Penny are working closely with Brighton's homeless community and a number of agencies to reduce risk on the streets.
Operation Street provides homeless people who have been attacked with the opportunity to talk to their street community officer and receive advice on how to deal with their assault.
Sgt Siggs said: "We are immensely proud of the work we do for these people and we will continue to do our best to reduce crime against the street community.
Read Glen and Simone's Story