A homeless boy is worried that Santa won't find him this Christmas after he and his mother were evicted.
This year, a record number of children face Christmas ‘without a safe place to call home'.
Advert
Government figures have revealed that almost 139,000 children in England are living in temporary accommodation, which is a rise of 14 percent on last year.
7,500 live in hostels or B&Bs and 17,660 live in council or housing association properties.
Eight-year-old Marcel - who has learning difficulties - and his mum Sarah were recently kicked out of their rented flat into temporary accommodation.
The pair were moved to a hotel in Cardiff and young Marcel is wondering why he doesn't have his own room.
Advert
"How is Santa going to find me if we are homeless?" he asked him mum, who had no answers.
"No kid should ever say that," she told the BBC.
"He shouldn't have to worry about whether he's going to get presents or not."
"It gets a little bit lonely with no visitors. And pets are not allowed," Marcel added.
Advert
Marcel has global development delay and sometimes wakes up screaming in the dark.
He gets scared by the sounds of people moving around in the hotel.
Polly Neate, the Chief executive of homelessness charity Shelter, told Metro: "It’s nothing short of a national disgrace that a record 139,000 children will wake up on Christmas morning without a safe place to call home.
Advert
"Every day our frontline services hear from parents who are desperately trying to provide some shred of a normal Christmas for their children while stuck in cold and damaging temporary accommodation.
"We know from our research that living in one room in a homeless B&B or hostel, with precious little space to sleep, eat or play, can seriously harm a child’s wellbeing and development.
"The solution to ending homelessness is clear – the government must build 90,000 genuinely affordable social homes a year.
"Until then, Shelter will continue doing everything we can to help families find or keep hold of a safe home this winter.
Advert
"But as more and more families turn to Shelter for support, we’re relying on the public’s generosity to help us keep up with rising demand."
Single parent Stacey Davies was just about able to buy presents for her sons, aged eight months and 23 months, at her second-floor flat in Edgbaston, Birmingham.
The 37-year-old, who is registered disabled and receives benefits, has lived in the temporary property for a year.
"The boiler is faulty, even though it’s been replaced, so it’s really cold in the house," she said.
"I’ve been in hospital because of problems with my lungs and I’ve got mental health problems as well. We keep getting colds and the fan heaters run up the electric bill like crazy.
"I really struggle to get the buggy and the two children up and down the three flights of stairs. I can just about make ends meet with my benefits but the rising cost of everything adds up each month.
"The furniture is falling apart and I can’t afford to replace it.
"I’ve been buying the kids’ presents throughout the year and Christmas is just going to be about making ends meet."
Featured Image Credit: BBCTopics: UK News