Parks in SE1

I live near Leathermarket Gardens and for a long time there were a regular group that would pop up in the area, but I haven't seen them out and about much lately, has anyone else seen an improvement since before xmas? maybe its the cold weather keeping them from wandering around as much

The police and other agencies have been tackling this problem, for a long time. Check out your local team on the met police website and you will find it has been a priority for a long time.
St Mungos and other local agencies have also tried to help these people, but some of them don't want help, and there are only so many places in the hostels.
The point about ex services is correct, not long ago a survey found that approximately a third to a half of the long term homelesss are ex forces, for all sorts of reasons, from post traumatic stress to family breakdown and unemployment!!

We now seem to have a fairly new problem of people with the same alcohol and substance issues as the (declining, due to various interventions) British rough sleeper population, but from other countries, coming here because it's less awful than back in their native country. John Bird himself has said "London is a magnet for the dispossessed from other countries and parts of the UK" in a newspaper article.

I have this afternoon witnessed drunken shouting and jostling amongst a dozen (seemingly split into three or four friendship groups) in a small park next to a kid's playground. Like any addict, even when surrounded by supportive friends and four walls and a roof, they're not fully aware or in control of their behaviour and totally indifferent to their surroundings or usual social boundaries.

Yes there are people drunk out on the streets on Friday nights doing much the same and maybe not smelling as bad. But most people do not take their children or go to read a book in a park at 2am on a Friday night. They go there in the daytime and that is when it is totally antisocial to be drunk and disorderly ... and the night time use that results in litter and fluids is just as bad.

It is refreshing to hear the police take on this and I would only echo the previous comment, that EU nationals do not have an unlimited right to be in another EU country, they must have funds to support themselves whilst actively looking for work. The UKBA programme for this is underway which the police help with.

Also perhaps the local police can object to licensing applications for shops that sell beer by the can. I am pretty sure I know of a few off licences that sell by the can, not sure if they're meant to. Also, on an even simpler note, work with the councils and get the parks fitted with locking gates for after dark so that at least the litter/fluid problems aren't there.