A MAN who has led his team to help the homeless at Christmas said they will not be “abandoned”.

Dave Wheeler has been the team led for the outreach workers at Herefordshire Council, which seeks out those living rough in the county and help them find services to get them out of their situation.

There are 24 homeless people in Herefordshire, as of October, he said.

Some are found sleeping next to the river Wye, while others are found under bridges and in parks.

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“Each person has their story of how they got into the situation they are in,” said Mr Wheeler.

Although there is always a concern for homelessness, but the cost-of-living crisis could affect more families than individuals, he said.

But the stress from financial worries could also lead to relationship breakdowns, said Mr Wheeler.

Over Christmas the team expects to see a decline in homelessness, but when the new year comes around it seems to go up again.

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This is usually due to conflict in relationships over the festive period.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, a homeless shelter and breakfast club ran from St Peter’s Hall, in St Peter’s Square, Hereford, but this has since stopped.

Now there is accommodation in Hereford for emergency cases only.

Over Christmas, the outreach team doesn’t directly provide Christmas meals, but it works with other organisations that do, such as the Salvation Army.

Mr Wheeler also said there are several faith and voluntary groups that are there to help.

“They are not abandoned,” he said.