Police probe eight deaths at Glasgow homeless hotel

GLASGOW: A leading Scottish charity on Thursday called for action after police said eight homeless people died in emergency accommodation in Glasgow during the coronavirus lockdown.

Four women and four men died at the Alexander Thomson Hotel in the centre of the city between April 25 and August 28, Police Scotland said in a statement.

Seven of the deaths were being treated as “unexplained” pending the outcome of post-mortem examinations.

The last death, involving a 48-year-old woman, was “non-suspicious”.

Chief Inspector Craig Walker, of Police Scotland’s Greater Glasgow division, said local authorities were responsible for providing accommodation for homeless people.

“We know many that have complex needs and we work closely with Glasgow City Council and other third sector partner organisations to signpost them to the most appropriate support services,” he added.

But Alison Watson, director of Shelter Scotland, which provides support for people affected by bad housing and homelessness, said she was “extremely concerned”.

“We welcomed the effort to get people off the streets back in March,” she said.

“But six months on, and with lockdown measures being reintroduced, we need another push to provide those people with decent places to stay and access to the support services they need.

“If people are stuck in hotel rooms for months without support, that will have serious consequences for their well being.”

The last death came a day after a 49-year-old woman was reported to have died at the hotel, and one month after a 25-year-old man and a woman aged 44 were discovered on July 28.

In June, Scottish police shot dead a man who had been living at a Glasgow city centre hotel housing asylum seekers after he went on a stabbing spree, wounding six people, including a police officer.

After the incident, charities voiced concerns about conditions at the hotel and the impact of coronavirus movement restrictions on their mental health.