Homeless people 'riding night buses to keep warm'

Haroon Asif from Oldham said he used night buses to Manchester Airport to help keep warm

A homeless man said he had "travelled on night buses to keep warm" during sub-zero temperatures in Manchester this week.

Haroon Asif, from Oldham, said: "The 43 bus to Manchester Airport goes every half an hour and the driver wakes you up when the service is terminated.

"There's also the number 36 to Bolton but you can't jump back on the same bus," explained the 35-year-old, "meaning I have to wait for half an hour [and] keep going back and forth."

Manchester City Council said: "There will always be a warm space provided by the council and its partners who work tirelessly during this time of year."

Manchester City Councillor Joanna Midgley is responsible for tackling homelessness

Mr Asif told BBC Radio Manchester he had been homeless since July, when he split up with his ex-partner.

He said: "It gets very cold in the early hours of the morning, so I try to shelter myself on these buses to keep myself safe but I really struggle to get sleep.

"I am scared and it brings tears to my eyes, so I just have to take one day at a time."

Deputy council leader Joanna Midgley said: "People do not have to sleep outside when the temperature is at its coldest.

"Bringing people off the street is often their first step in accepting an offer of help and additional support that may change the course of their lives."

Paul McDonagh from Galway in Ireland said he slept rough in Manchester city centre with his pet dog

Dean Stewart, from Chorlton, said he had been sleeping rough in Manchester city centre.

"I sometimes stay in tents in doorways and the cold is unbearable," the 46-year-old explained.

He said he also used night buses including the 142 to Didsbury or the 43 to Manchester Airport.

He explained: "If you get your ticket after midnight, you can ride all day."

Paul McDonagh, from Galway in Ireland, said he had been sleeping rough in St Peter's Square.

The 35-year-old described it had taken "about an hour and a half to defrost my feet this morning".

Mr McDonagh, who has a three year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier called Dior, said he normally begged for money outside a supermarket to buy food.

He added: "You're constantly trying to get warm with blankets [at night] and if you do sleep, it's only a nap out of pure weakness because your body is shutting down."

Ivan Dario from Italy said he had been sleeping rough in Manchester city centre since he lost his job

Ivan Dario, from Naples in Italy, said he had been sleeping rough in Manchester city centre for about a month.

"I just lost my job and my flat at the same time," explained the 50-year-old.

"Someone told me there was a free tent, so I started sleeping here.

"I try to sleep in all my clothes, and I have two sleeping bags, but still it's freezing."

When the temperature is forecast to drop below zero, Manchester City Council offers a severe weather emergency protocol.

There is an increase in outreach services until 04:30 GMT.

The aim is to identify rough sleepers and to offer them a warm bed for the night.

The authority also offers year-round support at Etrop Grange in Wythenshawe, where wrap-around services aim to help rough sleepers find a permanent home.