Sainsbury's take action to stop its Central Milton Keynes car park being used as drug den and toilet

Sainsbury’s bosses have taken action after shoppers began boycotting the store’s “smelly and disgusting” car park at Central Milton Keynes.

The underground area, over the past year or two, has become a hang out for drug users and homeless people.

Shoppers have complained of having to step over used needles and human faeces and some have been approached by beggars as soon as they step out of their car.

"It seems to be the place to be for drop outs and homeless people. I appreciate these are people with needs but they have turned this car park into a place that is smelly, disgusting and unhygienic, ” said one shopper.

Others have taken to social media to say they have boycotted Sainsbury’s until the problem is solved.

The car park is managed by the company, Euro Car Parks and shoppers can park there free for a maximum of three hours during daytime hours.

The Citizen reported in February of the growing population of homeless people and drug users camping out in the car park.

Customers had taken to social media to complain, and some had tried in vain to phone Sainsbury's and Euro Car Parks to demand clean-up action be taken.

But it was “impossible” to speak to a human on either number, they claimed.

At the time a Sainsbury’s spokesman told us: “We’re working hard to improve the car park at our central Milton Keynes store and we’re sorry for any inconvenience caused.”

Since then though there has been a steady flow of complaints that the car park dwellers were still firmly in situ.

"The place stinks of poo and urine,” said one shopper. “Even the lift stank of urine the other day. It was so bad that it made me never want to return there.”

This week Sainsbury’s revealed a last-ditch action to deter the unwelcome guests – in the form of shutters.

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “We have installed a new shutter in the car park between ground and lower ground so we can now close off the lower floor entirely limiting access to the basement."

She added: “We continue to work hard to improve the conditions in the car park at our Milton Keynes store. We have increased cleaning and checks of the car park, as well as introducing additional security measures.”

Milton Keynes City Council last year opened a shelter in the city centre to offer overnight accommodation and support services for up to 18 people who would otherwise be sleeping rough.

However some homeless drug or alcohol users have refused help or do not qualify for it because they are unwilling or unable to kick their habit.

The council now says all homeless people in the city have now either been given help – or moved on because they were not actually homeless at all.

But some homeless drug or alcohol users have refused help or do not qualify for it because they are unwilling or unable to kick their habit, say officials.