Homeless diary: life on the streets

Mark Devlin once spent six months sleeping rough after a family break-up.

A former homeless man has returned to the streets of Manchester to highlight the challenges faced by those who are forced to sleep rough.

Mark Devlin, 24, was homeless for six months after a family break-up before he was offered a work placement with the homeless charity, The Mustard Tree.

For his week on the streets, Mark handed over his house keys and threw himself at the mercy of the city's homeless services including late night soup kitchens and drop-in centres.

To reveal what it's like being homeless in the cold and wet Manchester weather, Mark kept an audio diary for BBC Radio Manchester.

Day 1

Mark heads to Piccadilly Gardens but his initial enthusiasm for the project soon wanes as cold and hunger take their toll.

A passer-by's charitable offer of somewhere to stay is not what it appears to be, as Mark gets ready to spend the night in a doorway...

Day 2

After a first night interrupted by clubbers and street cleaners, Mark and other homeless men are moved on by the police out of the city centre into the 'rat-infested, urine-soaked back alleys.'

"I'm really angry at the way these guys are being treated," he said. "Homelessness is not decreasing, it's being shoved underground."

Day 3 & 4

Another sleepless night in the rain outside a church in St Ann's Square and Mark heads to the Booth drop-in centre for the homeless near the Cathedral for a warming cup of coffee.

With no night shelter in Manchester, Mark later finds a dry balcony in an empty apartment block to get his head down.

Day 5

Mark has his first decent night's sleep then experiences the good and bad in people in Manchester.

He's touched by the generosity of some long-term homeless guys sharing beer and cigarettes.

But later, a group of youngsters appear at the Mustard Tree soup kitchen and launch fireworks at the men and women who turn up for a warm drink and something to eat.

Day 6 & 7

Mark comes across Brian, a homeless man he knows from The Mustard Tree, who's in a lot of pain and calls an ambulance.

Brian still suffers the ill effects of an attack when he was set on fire by two men while he was sleeping in a doorway.

As his week on the streets comes to an end, Mark feels guilty that he's going home to a warm bed.

"I just hope that something can be done to help these guys a little bit more," he said. "They need a few night shelters, somewhere to go after the day centres close."

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Mark is using his experience to raise money for the charity. More information on The Mustard Tree website.