HOMELESS people in Bournemouth will receive some festive cheer thanks to the hard work of two New Forest councillors.

Ringwood Mayor Cllr Danny Cracknell and his town and district council colleague Cllr Michael Thierry have been busy collecting boxes and bags of food, clothes and toiletries.

They will then distribute these goodies to homeless people in Bournemouth, Southampton, Brighton and London during the week before Christmas.

New Forest District Council employees in Lymington and Lyndhurst have been among the many collecting goods for the two councillors, who gratefully received the packages from council chairman Cllr John Hoy.

Cllr Cracknell said: "People are very kind. We have been doing this every Christmas for the past 11 years now, and although I keep threatening to stop, I can't.

"When you actually go out onto the streets and see how grateful these people are, it inspires you to carry on."

Cllr Thierry added: "Some people have no sympathy for the homeless because they feel it's their choice - but that isn't always the case.

"Many of the people we meet have alcohol and drugs problems and when we meet them we hear some tragic stories."

With the help of the Salvation Army, Cllrs Cracknell and Thierry will distribute the goods loaded into two lorries in the seven days before Christmas.

"Many people think that the problem of homelessness and people living on the streets is getting better, but that just isn't the case," Cllr Cracknell added.

"Cardboard City is no longer near Waterloo Station in London - the homeless have just been moved on somewhere else."