'I fear I could die sleeping rough in the big freeze'

Rough sleepers in Manchester city centre have said support from the council is not reaching everyone, as they struggle to stay warm in the recent big freeze.

The homeless charity Don't Walk Past said it spoke to 27 rough sleepers overnight on Tuesday and 22 on Wednesday when temperatures fell as low as -5C.

Manchester City Council said it is stepping up its efforts to offer homeless people a warm space indoors.

But Christopher Edge, who has been sleeping outside a Greggs store on St Mary’s Gate, said he is yet to see anyone from the council on the streets offering help or guidance.

“I’ve put myself here in a position where I can’t be missed, but because I’m at the bottom end of the town trying to stay away from what goes on at the top end – all the drugs – it’s like I’ve just been forgotten about. It’s disgusting," he said.

Mr Edge told BBC Radio Manchester: “I’ve got a sleeping bag there but it’s not fit for purpose. It’s like a paper bag. I’m scared to go to sleep because I fear that I won’t wake up in the morning and there’s a lot of other homeless feeling the same way.”

The 56-year-old from Manchester said there needs to be more support.

“I’ve been out here two years and I’ve not felt temperatures like this in a long time. People are going to die in doorways and that’s the reality of it. It’s sad,” he added.

Ronny English, the founder of Don’t Walk Past, said he did see two council workers overnight on one occasion, but feels they are not working fast enough.

“We’ve had three nights of freezing temperatures. Why are we still finding rough sleepers on the streets?," he said.

Mr English said at least a dozen homeless people told him they had not been offered help by the council.

He continued: “We’ve been doing this for seven years and we’ve seen some terrible things, but when you go over to someone in these temperatures and they can’t speak because of the cold, it's heartbreaking.

"Last night there was an ex-soldier, 60-years-old, and like others, he was terrified of going to sleep.”

Mayor Andy Burnham said 600 people were supported by his A Bed Every Night scheme on Tuesday night, which was set up in 2018 to help people sleeping rough in Greater Manchester.

He insisted his colleagues were out there.

“Can we always get everyone who needs it, in it? Well no, because the numbers just keep increasing," he said.

“There is a street engagement team and they are very familiar with the people who are out there needing support. They know the places where people are likely to go.

“The idea that we’re remote from this, well it’s just not the case. We are completely on top of these issues.”

BBC Radio Manchester has given Mr Edge’s details to Mr Burnham’s team after the mayor said he would help find him accommodation in the next few days if he could be located.

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