Despite life threateningly low temperatures some homeless people are still sleeping on the streets.

Charities and Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) have been working together since the freeze began to find the county town's rough sleepers a place to take shelter but some are choosing to stay outdoors.

Will Myers, homeless outreach officer at MBC, said: “Some of the clients unfortunately prefer to sleep on the street for various reasons and I'm out to try to ask them why they prefer to sleep out and persuade them to go back in."

To keep rough sleepers safe, MBC implemented its severe weather emergency protocol (SWEP), helping to get those who are most at risk indoors and safe.

“The normal protocol for operating SWEP is for councils to take up responsibility for rough sleepers after three days when the temperature is below zero, however we in Maidstone instigated it on the first night", said Mr Myers.

"We don’t believe that it's good for people to be out three nights on the trot before they are accommodated.

"We do have an arrangement where dogs and their owners can be accommodated under SWEP and have done so during this cold spell. We have offered this to all rough sleeping dog owners. I am actively encouraging those known to me to take up the offer. We fully appreciate that their dogs are their 'family', he added.

After being put in place on Tuesday, February 27, 18 people were sent directly to SWEP accommodation while 15 others were found places with the Maidstone Churches Winter Shelter.

Amanda Sidwell, founder of homelessness charity Making a Difference to Maidstone (MADM), said that along with the ordinary risks of living on the street the cold brings specific dangers.

"There’s the fear of hypothermia, the fear of death, and them not looking after themselves. Their health isn’t great anyway so therefore they’re at even more of a risk", she said.

Andy James, project manager at the winter shelter, said although his and similar organisations have wrestled with the issue of homeless people choosing to sleep outdoors, his main concern is what will happen after the snow passes.

"Everyone is very concerned about the homeless with the weather but what worries me is that people's attention will go when the weather gets better", he said.