Homeless at Christmas: We're a community on the streets – but it's hard

"They won't give me benefits because I don't have a home address so it's a catch 22. If I had a roof over my head I would be alright."

Scotty Parkin is one of the rising number of people who will find themselves living rough this Christmas.

An Express & Star investigation has discovered that there are almost 2,500 people recorded as being homeless in the Black Country and South Staffordshire – a rise of 13 per cent over the last five years.

Many are forced to sleep rough, including Scott who has been on the streets for a year.

He said: "I have been on the streets since last year. I did have a property but the landlord changed the locks. It's hard man. It's cold and everytime it rains we have to get a change of clothes and it's not easy getting those clothes living on the street.

"There's a community out on the streets, we all make sure everybody is alright and has what they need."

He moved to Wolverhampton from Manchester because of family and has been in the city for the last 15 to 16 years.. However now his mum is homeless and living on a friend's couch and his brother has moved to Wales.

Scotty has his own spot by the train station where he sleeps during the night and begs during the day. He said: "My daily routine varies every morning but I tend to get up at six and try and get some money for something to drink and something to eat. Then I'll do the rounds and go and see everybody and make sure everyone is alright, then I'll be back to my spot near the train station bridge at about 5.

"The people of Wolverhampton aren't too bad, they give generously and especially in the run-up to Christmas," Scotty told the Express & Star as he attended the Good Shepherd Ministry's Christmas party.

The Wolverhampton charity assists the homeless, providing practical advice as well as food, clothing, bedding and toiletries.

But life on the streets isn't easy. In Scotty's case, his landlord changed the locks when he served his time in prison for robbery . He went onto the streets and has now become addicted to legal highs.

He said: "I take legal highs. It's getting on top of people and killing them as well. I've been addicted for about a year, it helps me with my ADHD. People don't realise it's a similar problem to drinking, heroin and crack. I have tried to stop but it's not easy. There is support for legal highs but it's legal so there's not much they can do.

"I get into a lots of scraps with other homeless people and with people walking past thinking they're better than us. I'm protective of my spot and I'm protective of myself.

"I've asked people for money and they've told me to get a job."

David Beckett, who is from what is now known as Zambia, won't be living rough on the streets this Christmas after he managed to find a home. But the 62-year-old used to sleep rough in Wednesfield.

He said: "I slept in Ashmore Park for 10 days and the keeper said to me 10 days is too long, you need to get yourself sorted .

"At certain times of the year the park closes at different times in the evening so you need to work out where the park keeper is going to be.

"You need to make sure he's on the other side of the park from you then find somewhere to hide out and make sure you've got a sleeping bag then when it's morning time make sure you get out as soon as you can.

"What I would do to spread the day out was choose a road and walk as far as I could, then come back. It gave me something to do and also made me tired for the evening. I walked to Kidderminster once. .

"The hardest thing is to say well this is where I am now, but when you realise that there's lots of other people in the same boat it makes it much easier. You just don't talk to anybody, in those days nobody would have recognised me or knew me. It was such a blessing that this park keeper told me to go to the Civic Centre."

* Tomorrow – My night on the streets