The night shelter at Maggs Day Centre in Worcester has been open for the previous four nights

The shelter at Maggs Day Centre at Deansway in Worcester has been open since Boxing Day (four nights) as temperatures fell to freezing and below.

In total 12 people used the shelter on Thursday night into this morning.

It was not scheduled to open tonight (Friday) but may open again on January 1 when temperatures are set to drop again.

As previously reported, the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) is activated when the weather is forecast to fall below 0C for three consecutive nights.

Emergency provision is opened at Maggs to reduce the risk of serious harm or death to those who sleep rough.

Trained professionals are on hand to provide support to rough sleepers who use the service and to discuss options for long term accommodation with them.

The service is run by homeless prevention service CCP but activated by the Worcester City Council.

Eight rough sleepers used the service on Wednesday night.

Gareth Edwards, director of operations and deputy designated safeguarding officer of CCP, said: "I would certainly thank staff for giving up their Christmas. They were out on Boxing Day, giving up their free time, putting their Christmas on hold for the greater good."

Mr Edwards said they had let rough sleepers know about the shelter service face-to-face and via social media, including Twitter, but urged anyone who wanted to know whether the shelter was open to contact CCP directly.

He said feedback had been very positive and that he believed the service was working well for people and their pets with no problems or exclusions so far.