Mum and sons fight anti-homeless spikes with cushions and chocolate

LONDON -- A mum and her sons who were angered by the installation of anti-homeless metal spikes have fought back with the perfect weapon -- cushions. Jennie Platt -- from Manchester, UK -- enlisted her sons George, 11, and Sam, 10, after reading about the installation of the anti-homeless spikes in their local newspaper.

Platt and her sons went to British store Primark on Sunday to buy cushions and pillows to cover the area affected by the spikes, outside Pall Mall Court in Manchester.

George and Sam recruited a few of their rugby teammates to help them in their efforts to build a welcoming space for homeless people. And, they didn't stop there. They also bought sandwiches and chocolate bars and created a sign which read: "Take a seat and have a bite to eat". Anti-homeless spikes have been spotted in cities across the UK in recent years, and are used by companies to prevent homeless people sleeping in front of their properties.

"I thought it was really mean and a Scroogey thing to do, it is really unnecessary," Platt told the Manchester Evening News. "It’s a spot where people can keep warm and sheltered, people don’t need to be that mean," Platt continued. Platt said a number of homeless people saw their handiwork and said they'd come back later. "It’s not doing anyone any harm them being there," Platt said. After images of the Platt family's kind gesture appeared on social media, the owners of the site in question removed the spikes after talking with local councillors. GVA, the company that manages the building, confirmed to the BBC that the spikes had been removed. Nice work, Platt family and friends! 👏