A CHURCH has stopped hosting a street cafe due to fears that homeless people could use weapons, such as fire extinguishers, to attack each other.

Reverend Darren Smith said officers advised him to stop allowing Worcester Street Cafe to use his church because it provided easy access to indoor weapons such as fire extinguishers, tables and chairs.

The concerns were raised after a chunk of a man's nose was bitten off in a brawl outside Worcester Baptist Church, in Sansome Walk, just before 7.15pm on Tuesday, April 17.

The fight took place around the time that the street cafe was at the site, although the organisation says none of its regular attendees were involved.

Mr Smith said: "We were advised it was probably best not to continue hosting them.

"Indoors we have chairs, tables and fire extinguishers which means you have ready access to weapons.

"Outside there's less of that around."

Mr Smith praised Worcester Street Cafe and said the group's volunteers were enthusiastic and kind-hearted.

Homeless campaigner Hugo Sugg now wants the head of the street cafe, Sharon Multani, to step down so someone ‘sufficiently trained and experienced in homelessness’ can take over.

However Ms Multani has defended herself and claims Mr Sugg has a ‘personal vendetta’ against her.

She said: “I don’t need to step down. I don’t know the man, I don’t know why he’s got this vendetta against me.

“I didn’t bite someone’s nose off.”

The Worcester Street Cafe Facebook page previously uploaded a statement explaining that those involved in the fight were not regular attendees.

It said: “Unfortunately a violent incident took place on Tuesday as we were about to distribute food.

“It was totally beyond our control and our volunteers were very proactive in their endeavours to diffuse the situation, which is now a police matter."

Two men from Worcester, aged 26 and 44, and another 33-year-old man, of no fixed address, were arrested for the assault.

The three men were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and have been bailed until May 16.

Anyone who saw the fight can call 101 quoting incident number 0608s of 17 April.