EROTIC dancers are handing out sleeping bags and warm drinks to the city's homeless.

David Barrett, the owner of Black Cherry strip club, in Lowesmoor, Worcester, started the campaign last week.

He said he was motivated to help the city's homeless after reading about the death of the Malvern rough sleeper Joby Sparrey.

Mr Barrett said: "We are going out every night. I try to get two girls [dancers] to go with me.

"We get the odd joke 'can I get a lap dance?' but that is to be expected.

"It [homelessness] hits home at this time of the year.

"It's not nice, we are all human beings, no one deserves to die on the streets because they don't have anywhere to be warm.

"We hand out gloves, hats and sleeping bags to those who need them.

"If they have one already, we say give it to someone who needs one.

"They don't like to be looked at as a charity, but they do respect us doing it."

Mr Barrett prepares hot drinks at his home and takes them out to the rough sleepers.

He said that he has encountered about eight to 10 rough sleepers a night from Monday to Thursday.

Mr Barrett, aged 56, added that the number of people on the city's streets seems to increase on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The Black Cherry owner believes that some of those claiming to be rough sleepers are not genuinely homeless.

He said: "I think some of them see Worcester as a bit of a goldmine.

"We have got a lot of students here and a good nightlife scene."

Mr Barrett, who has already given away four sleeping bags, plans to keep handing out items in Worcester until the end of February.