Over 65,000 people have signed a petition in a bid to stop Hackney Council 'criminalising' homelessness with a new Public Space Protection Order (PSPO).

Newly launched measures mean police and council officers are able to order people to stop activities including begging or sleeping rough in particular sites around the London borough.

Those who breach the order could be handed a fixed penalty notice of £100 or landed with a £1,000 fine in court.

A Change.org petition against the PSPO is currently just 9,484 signatures shy of its 75,000 total.

Head petitioner, Zahira Patel, said: 'People should not be punished for the "crime" of not having a roof over their head - there is nothing inherently "anti social" or criminal about rough sleeping. Criminalising rough sleeping privileges the appearance of Hackney and the convenience of customers over the damage caused to the vulnerable and homeless.

'Let's make sure we also stop this in Hackney and everywhere else it is proposed - we must force councils and policy makers to deal with the lack of affordable housing and rising levels of homelessness in London as a whole, rather than allow them to get away with shifting the "problem" into another borough.'

A similar petition launched against Oxford City Council recently convinced the town hall not to include rough sleepers on a planned PSPO.

Hackney Council admitted that it was 'not surprised' that people were 'worried' about what they had reach about its local scheme.

However the town hall affirmed the PSPO was not targeting vulnerable people and was instead focussed on tackling 'a handful of entrenched rough sleepers who have repeatedly and over a long period resisted all attempts to house them and help them, and who are causing serious problems for other residents with anti-social behaviour including drug use, drunkenness, public urination and defecation, and threatening behaviour'.

It also claimed its work was being supported by homeless charity Thames Reach, which works with the council to provide a specialist outreach centre.

Cllr Sophie Linden, cabinet member for crime, sustainability and customer services at Hackney Council, said: 'The PSPO is not about "criminalising the homeless". Anyone sleeping rough in Hackney is always offered the support and help that they need, firstly to get a roof over their heads in temporary accommodation, and then to help them get a permanent home.

'People who have found themselves being evicted, who have fallen on tough times and ended up sleeping rough are always helped. The council has no intention of fining or taking action against these people.'