IN his letter of January 8, Bob Waite paints such a pretty picture of the joys of rough sleeping that I was tempted to dig out my old camping gear and join in the fun.

Given the chance of sitting huddled in a sleeping bag in sub-zero temperatures being insulted or worse by passing drunks sounds such a laugh that I wonder why Mr Waite does not give a lead?

The reality is that he and others like him don’t have a clue about how people less fortunate than themselves are situated.

Many rough sleepers have a back story that involves domestic abuse, mental health issues, eviction, and - in the case of traumatised exsoldiers - a failure to adapt to civvy street.

One thing that Bob did get right was that the problem needs sorting out. Unfortunately the callous, austerityobsessed Government are not the ones who will do it.

Dave Barker, Fern Close, Huntington, York