HARLOW Council has hit back at claims by self-styled community patrol group that a mother of six was left homeless after being “turned away by the council”.

The Essex Spartans describe themselves as an “independent, volunteer-led community patrol group that works alongside residents to help keep our neighbourhoods safe and to offer support to vulnerable people where possible”

They appear to have sprung out of the Bell Hotel protests in Epping.

Last weekend, photos emerged of members in security uniforms outside the Civic Offices in the town centre and patrolling The Water Gardens.

Later a post emerged on X (formerly Twitter).

It read: “We helped a pregnant mother in Harlow with six children, the youngest just six months old, left homeless after being turned away by the council.

“We provided food and emergency shelter for the night. No mother or child should ever be left on the streets”.

We helped a pregnant mother in Harlow with six children, the youngest just six months old, left homeless after being turned away by the council. We provided food and emergency shelter for the night. No mother or child should ever be left on the streets @elonmusk @TRobinsonNewEra pic.twitter.com/5TzUCsqd3Y

— Essex-Spartans (@EssexSpartans) October 16, 2025

We asked Cllr Joel Charles, Harlow Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Protection, for the council’s’ version of events.

Cllr Charles said: “The council works closely with the police and several organisations operating in the community safety space. Harlow is fortunate to have dedicated, trained and accredited professionals already in place who work hard every day to act as a visible presence on the ground.

“Activity to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime locally is coordinated by the Safer Harlow Partnership. The organisation called Essex Spartans is not a member of the Safer Harlow Partnership and has no working relationship with the council. It is not normal practice for an organisation, not known to the council, to start patrolling the town. Members of the council’s community safety team already carry out a significant amount of community engagement work and join patrols with police officers in known crime hotspot areas.

“Volunteers representing Essex Spartans have recently been approaching vulnerable people in the town. Anyone feeling unsafe, in a state of distress or facing the prospect of being homeless can access advice and support from official sources. The mum and her children who featured in a recent social media post put out by Essex Spartans were put in temporary accommodation and provided transport to it by the council. A council officer, responsible for providing emergency out of hours support, rightly determined at the time that the family needed immediate help. They remain in temporary accommodation in Harlow whilst work is undertaken by the council to determine how best to meet the family’s longer-term needs.

“Every effort will always be made by the council to ensure vulnerable people get the best possible support. It is important that nobody feels left behind or isolated.”

We then contacted Essex Spartans and invited them to give their version of events.

Essex Spartans spokesperson Stephanie Golding said:

“We are not affiliated with Essex Police or the Safer Harlow Partnership. We are an independent, volunteer-led community patrol group that works alongside residents to help keep our neighbourhoods safe and to offer support to vulnerable people where possible.

Regarding the recent situation involving a mother and her children, our volunteers responded after being alerted by local residents who believed she had nowhere to go that night. We provided immediate support in the form of food and temporary shelter to ensure the family’s safety while official assistance was being arranged.

We fully acknowledge and appreciate that Harlow Council provided temporary accommodation and transport for the family. The original plan was we was going to find her accommodation for the night paid for by ourselves however after highlighting the issue so much , the council had to help . We had not only us but locals ringing in to them to help this lady – Our intention in sharing the post was to highlight the compassion and quick action of community volunteers, not to criticise or contradict the council’s efforts.

“We remain committed to working constructively with local authorities, emergency services, and community partners to support those in need and to keep our community safe”.

Finally, we asked Essex Police if they had any relationship with the Essex Spartans.

A police spokesperson said: “They are not affiliated with Essex Police, but we are aware of this group.

“We always advise residents that any offences/suspicious activity to be reported to police.”