I can't sit in my own home, it's just too cold. I can see the spots of mould now

Struggling OAP finds a warm space at mosque

- CLAIRE DONNELLY

IT'S a crisp but cold morning and a steady stream of women are arriving, shrugging off winter coats and rustling up cups of tea and coffee.

They've come to enjoy some much-needed warmth and hospitality and to escape their increasingly cold homes in the face of rising food and fuel bills.

Khizra Mosque in Manchester has long been a place of sanctuary for residents of Cheetham Hill. And now it is providing a warm space as well as a hub for food, advice, and other pastoral care.

More than 15% of residents here are living in fuel poverty. Many just cannot afford to use their central heating.

As manager Mohammed Ali says: "People have been telling us they can't pay their bills - all different kinds of people.

"One of the cleaners here told me he just can't afford the amount they're asking. We're trying to help him sort it out but he won't be able to put the heating on.