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Hotel rooms for 28 homeless people cancelled over Christmas

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A charity says its looking for a miracle after 14 twin rooms to get homeless people off the streets over Christmas were cancelled.

The Raise the Roof Homeless Project, in Hull, says they previously agreed the £1,092 bookings after being open with staff that it was for rough sleepers.

They said they were given no explanation and now need another hotel to come forward ASAP if they have vacant rooms on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The group posted on its Facebook page that it was absolutely gutted and very angry.

It said: Our hotel campaign is now in serious doubt being so close to Christmas. We need a miracle.

The organisers are hoping for a miracle (Picture: Facebook)

Organiser Carl Simpson said he booked rooms for 28 people in the city centre hotel but, with only a week to go before Christmas, he has been told the bookings have now been cancelled.

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Mr Simpson said he is waiting for an explanation because he was clear and open when he booked that the rooms would be used for the homeless.

He said: I cant think of anything else apart from discrimination. This is just kicking people at their lowest, while theyre down.

Mr Simpson said: Theyve left us in a real fix. We had already told people and it had given them a lot of hope. Now weve got to tell them its not going to happen.

Christmas is the lowest point of the year for the homeless, you see suicides increase. Last year we did not have any deaths in Hull.

The charity dont want people sleeping rough over Christmas (Picture: Getty)

Raise the Roof used the citys Ibis hotel last year for its Christmas campaign, but the venue did not have enough twin rooms available this year to repeat the booking, cafe owner Mr Simpson said.

But he said there had been no reports of any trouble from the previous booking, adding: We had guests asking staff for Hoovers to tidy up after (themselves).

Mr Simpson said that he had paid the Royal Hotel, which is part of the Britannia Hotels group, £1,092 for 14 twin rooms on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

He is now concerned about the time it will take to receive the refund, and whether the number of rooms needed can still be found elsewhere at an affordable price.

Asked what he wanted to happen, Mr Simpson said: If Britannia could change their minds or if another hotel could come forward.

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A manager at the Royal Hotel said there was no-one available to comment today.

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