Beat Manager's sleep out

While we were all tucked up warm in our beds one night in November, Sneinton PC Mat Mitchell spent the night sleeping rough on the streets of Nottingham.

A night out on the town has a whole new meaning for Mat after he spent 12 hours (from 8pm on Thursday 15 November to 8am on Friday 16 November 2012) with a cardboard box for a blanket and his own arm for a pillow.

Along with 400 bedfellows, the Beat Manager took part in 'The Big Sleep Out', to raise money for the homeless. The event was run by Framework, a charity offering support for homeless and vulnerable people.

Mat said: "I'm lucky enough to have always had a roof over my head and a warm bed to sleep in, but as a Beat Manager I have a lot of contact with homeless people and am acutely aware of the horrendous conditions they often find themselves in, especially in the winter months.

"I just wanted to do my bit for them, and at the same time gain a bit more of an appreciation of just how hard it is to have to sleep on the street each night. "My box did me proud, but I'm not sure how it would have held out if it had rained.

"It was cold and claustrophobic and I'm glad I don't have to do it every night. "While I have no obvious aches and pains from sleeping on the ground, I do feel a bit jaded by the experience. It was weird walking back to the station with my cardboard bed. I attracted a few stares, but I suppose that's the point of the exercise."

Mat raised more than £100 for Framework and hopes to take part in the event again next year