HOMELESS shelters across Worcestershire will open their doors tonight as the temperatures drop below freezing.

The cold weather means that the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol will come into effect, meaning that the shelters in Worcester, Evesham and Malvern are due to open their doors for the night.

Worcester - The night shelter at The Salvation Army, The Trinity, Worcester, WR1 2PN, will be open to rough sleepers from 21:30 to 08:30 the following morning.

Malvern – The Salvation Army, 62 Newtown Rd, Malvern, WR14 1NZ, will be open to rough sleepers from 21:30 to 08:30 the following morning.

Evesham – All Saints Parish Church, Market Place, Evesham, WR11 4RW, will be open to rough sleepers from 21:30 to 08:30 the following morning.

SWEP automatically comes into effect when the weather is forecast to be below freezing to help rough sleepers out of the cold for the night.

Worcestershire Homeless Appeal have sent out this plea: "Please remember, if a rough sleeper is seen in the public eye, kindly report them to Streetlink on 0300 500 0914 or via www.streetlink.org.uk. This will alert the relevant outreach teams within Worcestershire to attend the location and offer appropriate support to the person."

"Streetlinks feed into the intelligence network which enables outreach workers to locate rough sleepers and encourage them to access the SWEP night shelters. Outreach workers can support rough sleepers to engage with Worcestershire’s partnership homelessness organisations who can offer support with complex needs."