Mother urges action on homeless

One street drinker has already died from hypothermia in Derry

The mother of a street drinker who died of hypothermia while living on the streets of Londonderry has said something must be done.

Margaret Anderson's son Eamon died a month ago while living in public toilets at the Victoria Street carpark.

"People just walk over the top of them. They don't realise they are human beings," she said.

A businessman has donated a portable building to shelter street drinkers in the carpark.

Martin McLaughlin was among five people who slept there on Thursday night.

"Believe you me, this is a godsend, this is a godsend.

"How can you lie under bushes every night of the week, things crawling over you, and you don't know who's going to land in on top of you?" he said.

On Thursday a police inspector warned that street drinkers living rough in Derry would die this winter unless something was done.

Homeless people are living rough under duvets in the John Street area of the city.