An investigation is underway after a homeless man was found dead in a residential street in Dudley.

The man was found last week on a derelict plot of land on Priory Road, where the Duncan Edwards pub used to stand. Dudley Council’s homeless team said they had been trying to help him by giving him food and offering a place to stay. 

The authority is now investigating the cause of death.

MP for Dudley North, Ian Austin, said:

“People in Dudley are shocked by the number of people sleeping rough on the streets. Dudley’s homelessness team is working hard to help people and I’ve been working with local groups to try to help, but it is very clear to me that council and NHS cuts have hit health, social care and other support services hard and benefit changes like housing benefit cuts, the Bedroom Tax, sanctions and the chaotic introduction of universal credit have all made the situation much, much worse.

“The number of people sleeping rough in the West Midlands has more than trebled. The number of homes in the region has barely increased over recent years, home ownership has fallen, private renting has doubled, the costs of buying or renting a home in the private sector have soared and the number of social rented homes available to confront the housing crisis is lower than in previous decades.

“I think we need a Government and a Mayor that will really get a grip of the problem and not promise to solve it by 2027 which is almost ten years away and not nearly good enough.”