Stark images have shown numerous locals sleeping on the streets of Edinburgh in “dangerous” temperatures, which plummeted to -5C at points through the night. The photos were captured by capital-based charity Steps to Hope, who came across a number of rough sleepers in a one-mile radius while patrolling the city centre on Tuesday, December 14.

Locals are seen using sleeping bags, cardboard boxes and other materials found on the pavements as a way to keep warm during the Baltic weather, reports EdinburghLive. However, one man was spotted without a sleeping bag, instead huddling by a building radiator to keep the cold at bay.

A volunteer posted their thoughts on social media, writing: “It was -5 this morning when we set off to see if there were any rough sleepers on our streets! This morning we covered one mile in the city centre and found 10 people sleeping rough in these dangerous temperatures……-5!!!!

“One lad had no sleeping bag and was using the heaters to keep warm….we had tears in our eyes handing over a coffee. WE NEED CHANGE! This is utterly heartbreaking! How can anyone survive out there!!”

They continued: “We spoke to a girl who was keen to hear more about our recovery programme and said she will come to see us to engage. All our street friends we signposted to the correct organisations for housing and now know about our soup kitchens.

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