Homeless migrants from eastern Europe in London who are unable to get benefits have become so impoverished that they are eating rats and drinking lethal cocktails of alcoholic handwash, a homeless charity has warned.

Jeremy Swain, chief executive of Thames Reach, one of UK's biggest homeless charities, said he had been appalled by the conditions of destitute rough sleepers from new EU states, who now make up more than a quarter of those on the streets of the capital.

"We have come across homeless Poles in north London barbecuing rats. We have to explain to them that unlike the rats back home, in London they would be full of poison. The health risks are enormous," he said.

A camp that was home to half a dozen Polish rough sleepers was closed down in March. The Guardian spoke to Megan Stewart of Thames Reach outreach team who found the site. She visited on three occasions and found people eating cooked rats, which had either been toasted over a fire or stewed in a pot.

"It was the worst thing I had seen in three decades of working with the homeless," said Stewart.

So many vacant properties as well, no need for anyone to sleep rough.

I think that they should be given support back to Poland where they can get benefits. Homeless on the streets is hardly the thing that we need when Cameron is trying to encourage tourism. What will the Chinese tourist think of us as a society if we have such destitution?

What will the Chinese tourist think of us as a society if we have such destitution?

The tax system actually encourages empty properties. If councils could still demand council tax on all properties then it would help their budgets and mean that owners of such properties would have to either pay the taxes or get a tenant in to get them to pay the rents. That will help keep rents down. Rather than allowing an artificial shortage drive up rents.

I am frankly embarrassed that our government will actually tolerate this. They either need to be helped home where they could possibly get help. If this is happening here we simply are not a civilised society any longer.

Call me callous if you like but these guys are from Poland, not Zimbabwe. They're not fleeing from oppression. They wouldn't have been tortured if they'd stayed at home. They're migrants, not refugees. And if they're daft enough to migrate somewhere where they have no roof over their head to go to and no way of keeping body and soul together, then that's their fault, not ours.

I have no wish to see them come to harm or indeed harm themselves but the bare fact of it is generosity has to have limitations. In this case, they are in the situation they are in largely due to their own misdeeds. I have no objection to getting them off the street and safe from harm. But that to me is where our responsibility ends. If they want a flight home, they can find the money themselves. if they want to stay, they either support themselves or get the amount of support they would expect to get in Poland.

Jon

Two houses, two council tax payments in my opinion. No discounts if you only use a holiday home for 2 weeks a year.

Is there an obvious reason why London rats are poisonous but Polish ones arent?

London rats feed on the fast food restaurant detritus?

Two houses, two council tax payments in my opinion. No discounts if you only use a holiday home for 2 weeks a year.

Is there an obvious reason why London rats are poisonous but Polish ones arent?