AN emergency winter shelter for rough sleepers will be open at least three extra nights, helping keep homeless people alive in the cold.

The opening of the shelter at Maggs Day Centre in Deansway, Worcester, was originally supposed to be for three days, beginning on Thursday.

But the freezing temperatures mean it will now be open another three days at the very least.

There are 18 places at Maggs and a further seven overspill places at St Paul's Hostel in Tallow Hill.

If the temperature falls to zero or below (centigrade) for three consecutive nights provision should be made by those responsible for the welfare of homeless people in the city according to Government protocols.

The shelter was open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday last week and will be open again tonight (Monday) and tomorrow (Tuesday).

So far 16 people have been welcomed to the shelter including nine people and two dogs on Thursday and four people in Friday.

The Worcestershire Homeless Intervention Team (WHIT), led by Ginette Sadler from St Paul's Hostel, activated the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) shelter on Thursday.

The rough sleepers were accommodated overnight, given an assessment, hot drinks and a warm environment to sleep.

The SWEP shelter was activated to coincide with the predicted cold weather.

Ginette Sadler said: "Rough sleeping is the visible part of single homelessness and those who sleep rough at at the greatest risk of cold related injury and, in the extreme, death."

The St Paul's team, supported by Maggs Day Centre and with the district council housing teams had worked hard throughout this week to notify rough sleepers the shelter would be available.

Jonathan Sutton, chief executive of St Paul's, said: "Activating the SWEP shelter at very short notice is operationally challenging but the team nailed it. They made a difference to those people last night.

"It's bonkers isn't it? On the very same day as high above earth a man takes a space walk at the same time other men take a walk to the SWEP to avoid sleeping on the concrete pillow in the freezing cold.

"It's unacceptable for a nation so rich as ours. I hope the leaders of charities, churches, local authorities, housing associations can come together with us to coordinate service plans so we eradicate rough sleeping and not sustain it."