THE Central Methodist Church has turned to the high court to declare arrests for loitering as unconstitutional.

Papers were filed yesterday at the Johannesburg high court by the Legal Resource Centre, Lawyers for Human Rights and the Aids Law Clinic on behalf of the mainly Zimbabwean-seeking refugees at the church.

The legal action follows the arrest of about 350 destitute and homeless people for "loitering" on July 3.

The Zimbabweans had been sleeping in front of the court as the church was too full to accommodate them.

The arrests were part of the city's clean- up drive "Operation Chachamela" (walking on burning coals) - said Jason Brickhill of the Legal Resources Centre.

"Many of those arrested reported that they were also beaten, shocked by tazers and pepper-sprayed.

"They claimed that many of their belongings, including items of clothing and blankets, identity documents, passports, work papers, and asylum-seeker permits - were destroyed during the raid and subsequent arrests."

Katlego Moeng