Homeless handed map and told where not to go in Manchester city centre ahead of New Year's Eve event

A homeless camp has been moved ahead of Manchester's New Year's Eve celebrations, relocating outside the Midland Hotel.

Rough sleepers who have been camping outside Manchester Town Hall for weeks say police told them to leave St Peter's Square on Monday (December 30). A letter from Manchester council dated December 19 accuses them of 'trespassing' and lists concerns about the camp, including 'urine and defecation' causing a 'strong unpleasant odour'.

A map attached to the letter marks the area around Central Library, the Town Hall and the Town Hall Extension in red and orders all those residing in the tents to leave the area 'immediately'. The letter also makes reference to 'pre-event safety procedures' ahead of the New Year's Eve celebrations planned in the city centre tonight (December 31).

A free fireworks event is set to take place in St Peter's Square from 10pm with up to 20,000 people expected to attend. Fireworks will be released from the roof of Central Library with a live stage set up outside the building.

Ahead of the event, the area in front of the Town Hall Extension building which has been lined with red tents for months, has been fenced off. Manchester council has said the tents had to be moved to allow for a 'full police sweep' of the area to ensure it is a 'secure and safe site' and remains so ahead of tonight's New Year's Eve event.

The local authority said that the people sleeping in the tents have all been offered somewhere to sleep on a temporary basis. Abdallah Hassan, 23, who has been sleeping rough in one of those tents for several weeks, said police officers instructed people in the tents to leave the area yesterday (December 30) ahead of New Year's Eve.

He told the Manchester Evening News that he