A homeless charity with a hostel in Hounslow has raised awareness of the problem by installing a 'glass box' in the heart of the town centre.

A volunteer from Trinity Homeless Projects sat inside a transparent three metre by two metre box outside the Treaty Centre on Friday to highlight the issue.

Printed on the side of the box was the message '380,000 hidden homeless people in the UK, now you can see us?'

A charity spokeswoman said: "Homelessness is the most extreme form of housing need. It can affect anyone: families, childless couples and single people. But homelessness is not just a housing problem: It has impacts on health, educational achievement and employment opportunities."

Trinity hopes that the box, which was in Hounslow for the whole day, will have made a permanent impression on passers-by.

There are currenly 3,276 homeless people in the boroughs of Hounslow and Hillingdon, but due to a lack of beds Trinity can only house 80 people a year.