On one of the coldest nights of the year, a crowd of people huddle around a trestle table in Piccadilly Gardens. There's snow falling and the delicious smell of curries, stews and pies fills the air.
Amid the freezing conditions, men and women in big winter coats clutch plates of food with grateful hands. For many of them, this could be the only proper meal they eat all week.
Every Thursday evening, volunteers at Street Treats hand out dozens of free meals to Manchester's homeless. READ MORE: The groundbreaking deal that will change Greater Manchester forever For the last eight years, the service has been a lifeline to those forced to sleep rough on the city's streets.
But, last month, volunteers who run the street kitchen were told they could no longer do so from Piccadilly Gardens. Daryl Pollitt, who co-founded Street Treats, said a police officer warned her they would be 'booked' if they parked their van in the public city centre spot.
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