The home secretary has said many of those who did so were "from abroad" and insisted there was no need given the alternatives available to rough sleepers and support provided.

Unless action was taken Ms Braverman warned the UK would follow the likes of San Francisco and Los Angeles in the US where "weak policies have led to an explosion of crime, drug taking, and squalor".

It is reported the crackdown would target tents that become a nuisance - such as by blocking shop doorways, and that charities which hand out camping equipment face being fined.

Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, the cabinet minister said: "The British people are compassionate. We will always support those who are genuinely homeless. But we cannot allow our streets to be taken over by rows of tents occupied by people, many of them from abroad, living on the streets as a lifestyle choice.

"Unless we step in now to stop this, British cities will go the way of places in the US like San Francisco and Los Angeles, where weak policies have led to an explosion of crime, drug taking, and squalor."

Ms Braverman added: "Nobody in Britain should be living in a tent on our streets. There are options for people who don't want to be sleeping rough, and the government is working with local authorities to strengthen wraparound support including treatment for those with drug and alcohol addiction.

"What I want to stop, and what the law abiding majority wants us to stop, is those who cause nuisance and distress to other people by pitching tents in public spaces, aggressively begging, stealing, taking drugs, littering, and blighting our communities."

The government last year said it would repeal the 1824 Vagrancy Act, which made begging and rough sleeping illegal, and promised £2bn over three years to help get people off the streets.

But the opposite appears to be happening - and a recent report said rough sleeping was up 26% on last year.

Read more from Sky News:
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Govt to miss target to end rough sleeping by 2024 - report

The study said many of the problems stem from a severe shortage of affordable housing and a lack of appropriate support services.

This, combined with the cost of living crisis, is pushing more people into homelessness.

The government's rough sleeping snapshot for autumn 2022 said just over 3,000 people were estimated to be sleeping rough in England.

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Prince William is among those campaigning on the issue and has launched a project called Homewards, which aims to bring together organisations and people to find local solutions.