'I'm sleeping on streets to get others off them'

A former homeless man whose tent was once set on fire by youths has returned to the streets to highlight the plight of others who sleep rough.

Mark Penn, who now now runs the charity Help the Homelezz, is sleeping in a shop doorway in Goole, East Yorkshire, for 48 hours and will rely on food and water provided by passers-by.

The 54-year-old described being homeless in his 20s as a terrifying experience.

"A load of youths were throwing stones at me, putting knives through the tent," he recalled of one incident. "They decided to set it on fire. The whole tent was going up in flames."

He added: "My feet were on fire. I was absolutely petrified."

At the age of 26, Mr Penn lived on the streets for six months. He faced daily challenges of finding food, water and somewhere safe to sleep.

"It was survival day by day," he said.

The weather brought extra hurdles. Black scars on Mr Penn's feet are a reminder of the frostbite he suffered when temperatures dipped.

"I had plastic bags on me feet. You go to sleep. You will without a doubt wake up many times cold, laying in an awkward position. People have gone to sleep and never woken up."

One rainy day, Mr Penn was forced to sleep in public toilets. "I was on the cold floor up against the wall. How does that make anybody feel? I knew this couldn't happen again."

Since setting up the charity four years ago, Mr Penn and a team of volunteers have been handing out food and drinks to vulnerable people across Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire.

The father-of-one returned to the streets on Friday armed with a rucksack, pillow and a sleeping bag. He will sleep out until Sunday.

He said the challenge had brought back memories of fear and survival. "For the last 36 hours I've had nerves, I felt sick. But I've got a choice and I want to do this for all these people out on the street."

The second-hand white van used to transport the charity's provisions has seen better days and he hopes to raise funds to buy another vehicle.

Mr Penn said charity work came with its own challenges. But he added: "If I could get off the streets, I believe we can get as many people as possible off the streets."

Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.