1 in 4 homeless people to spend this Christmas alone

Video report by ITV News Correspondent Rupert Evelyn

A quarter of homeless people will spend Christmas Day alone this year and it's becoming more of a problem, new figures show.

The number of those sleeping on the streets has increased by 55% since 2010, according to homeless charity Crisis.

Their latest statistics also show:

ITV News spoke to one former homeless man who knows what it's like to spend Christmas on the streets.

Carlos Blanco is now a volunteer in the shelter where 12 months ago he needed help.

He found himself homeless last year after losing his job and his home.

Carlos spent several weeks sleeping rough in a London park in the shadow of multi-million pound homes.

He said: "Every single day you think, what went wrong?

"How the hell did I end up here after 14 years of being in a flat and having a job, a kid, I've been married once, everything.

"I've had the normal life and then, like that, it was all gone."

Crisis expects to open its doors to 4,000 homeless people over the festive period with help from over 10,000 volunteers.

Crisis Chief Executive Joe Sparkes said: "Christmas should be a time for family and friends, for warmth and celebration.

"Yet for homeless people it can be one of the hardest periods of the year - a cold, lonely experience to be endured rather than enjoyed. That's what makes our work at Christmas so important.

"Every year, Crisis opens its doors to thousands of homeless people, offering warmth, shelter, food and companionship, as well as access to vital services.

“None of this would be possible without the generosity and compassion of thousands of individuals, organisations and companies, who give their time, funds and goods to make Christmas happen for some of society's most vulnerable people."

If you want to support Crisis at Christmas go to www.crisis.org.uk or call 0800 999 2070.