A PETITION has been launched calling for police to investigate and charge the person responsible for spray painting a homeless man who was found dead days later.

Michael Cash , 32, was found dead at Eston Cemetery last Wednesday.

Cleveland Police said that his death was not being treated as suspicious and was not linked to the assault outside the Tesco store in Normanby where Mr Cash would often sit.

Officers have interviewed a man about the paint incident, however, there has been a public outcry over the incidents with people calling for justice.

According to reports, someone uploaded a video onto social media of the homeless man being sprayed, with a voice saying: “This is how we deal with beggars on the street.”

It has since been deleted.

Damian Freeman, who set up the petition, said: "I saw (the video) that first sparked my outrage – accusing a homeless beggar of being on drugs, and then spray-painting him, filming it and proudly posting it online should be a crime in itself, but to find out that this man had died within days of this happening sickened me.

"I have been homeless before and am well aware of the struggle. I would like to ask questions of Cleveland police as to why there are no charges being brought?

"I believe that the hostility, verbal abuse, harassment, threats of violence, physical attacks, and online abuse constitutes as a hate crime against a homeless victim.

"This potentially led to the death of Michael Cash, who could have been protected from such behaviour."

The force confirmed that a 33-year-old man had been spoken to in connection with spray-paint incident and the investigation is continuing.

A fundraising page has also been set up to help Mr Cash's family pay for his funeral.

A post on the GoFundMe page says: “I would like to raise some money in memory of Michael Cash to help Michael’s close family, to go towards his funeral at this heart breaking time. May he rest in peace, gone but never forgotten.”

Anyone with information about the incident with the paint behind the Tesco store in Normanby is asked to call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.