The son of a homeless Ballina man whose truck and camp were destroyed by fire has hit back at social media claims his father was involved in bicycle theft.

Marley Mitai is concerned at comments on Facebook responding to the report and photo showing bicycle parts at the Canal Road camp following the early-morning blaze.

He said the assumptions being made about his father were wrong.

“My father has just lost his home and most of what he owned in a devastating fire,” Marley said.

“He is not someone who goes around stealing bicycles.”

Marley said his father had been going through an incredibly difficult period and the truck destroyed in the blaze was effectively his home and his only major possession.

He said there was a simple explanation for the collection of bicycles, parts and other items around the camp.

His father had spent years collecting discarded items, including bicycles and bicycle parts found at rubbish tips, on the side of the road and through garage sales.

“He is a hoarder and keeps things that other people have thrown away or no longer want,” Marley said.

“I know my father. He is a kind person who has been going through an incredibly difficult period and is currently homeless.”

There is no evidence the bicycles or bicycle parts at the camp were stolen, or that Marley’s father was involved in bicycle theft.

‘Genuinely heartbreaking’

Marley said his family was already dealing with the devastation of seeing his father lose what little he had when they began seeing accusations about him online.

“Seeing strangers now calling him a thief without knowing anything about him is genuinely heartbreaking for our family,” he said.

The fire broke out shortly after 4am at the rough sleeping camp off Canal Road, opposite the former Ballina RSL bowling club.

Marley’s father escaped without injury but was badly shaken as the blaze destroyed his camp and truck.

Emergency accommodation was subsequently found for him.

Above: How the site looked before the fire – and how it looked after the fire a week ago. (main photo)

The cause of the fire has not been established and there is no evidence linking any alleged criminal activity to the blaze.

Marley said he wanted people commenting online to remember there was a person and a family behind the images they were seeing.

“I just want my father to be treated fairly and not have an implication attached to his name when there is no evidence that he committed any crime,” he said.

COMMENT: Give them somewhere safe to sleep — but don’t make residents pay the price