The Crown stars unveil giant sculpture of homeless man

Imelda Staunton said the sculpture was a "rallying cry", adding: "We cannot sit idly by and watch the situation worsen"

The Crown actors Imelda Staunton and Jonathan Pryce have unveiled a giant sculpture at King's Cross station to raise awareness of homelessness.

The 4.3m (14ft) tall work is based on the facial features of several people who have experienced homelessness.

It was commissioned by charity Crisis, which said it wanted to make homelessness "impossible to ignore".

It will be at the London station on Tuesday, before moving to the Bullring in Birmingham from 8 to 11 December.

The sculpture, called Alex, was created over the course of 10 weeks by artist Sophie de Oliveira Barata, a special effects prosthetics expert from London.

The sculptor used advanced face mapping technology to make the piece, combining the facial features of 17 people who were experiencing homelessness and have been supported by Crisis.

The sculpture weighs more than two tonnes

Staunton and Pryce, who are both Crisis ambassadors, were at the busy train station to help launch the installation.

Staunton said: "As a nation we need to do better and this Christmas, we can all be part of that change.

"This installation stands as a testament and a rallying cry, we cannot sit idly by and watch the situation worsen."

Chief executive of Crisis, Matt Downie, said: "300,000 households face homelessness next year if the UK government doesn't change its course. It's that simple.

"As a country, we are going through a difficult time but we can't ignore the mounting pressure that is building on low income households as they struggle under the weight of price rises they cannot afford."

The installation also includes a spray-painted message that says homelessness "can't be ignored"

The event comes as new research from the charity suggests on any given night in 2023, more than 300,000 households in England, Wales and Scotland could be at risk of experiencing homelessness, if current policies and economic circumstances continue.

The research, conducted by Heriot-Watt University, defined homelessness as including sleeping on the streets, sofa surfing, and living in temporary accommodation such as hostels and bed-and-breakfast accommodation.

The team's estimate for 2023 looked at data and forecasts for homelessness and temporary accommodation, private housing completions, the housing and rental market, household income levels and poverty after housing costs.

It also used official statistics and independent forecasts, and included modelling of the impact of the pandemic on levels of homelessness.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has been approached for a response.

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