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Young man tragically found dead in M&S doorway in Manchester during freezing temperatures
Our thoughts are with his friends and family
A young man was tragically found dead outside Marks & Spencer in Manchester city centre during the recent freezing weather.
John Wrench, originally from Bolton, was sleeping rough in the doorway of M&S on Market Street when he sadly passed away. He was just 25 years old.
According to GMP, officers received a call around 8.15am on Monday February 1st after a member of the public reported concern for a person’s welfare.
While emergency services attended the scene, John was sadly declared dead – the night before was bitterly cold with temperatures predicted to fall as low as -3C, as well as heavy snow forecast to fall in some parts of Greater Manchester.
A file has now been passed to Manchester’s coroner, as there was found to be no suspicious circumstances, and a shrine of flowers, candles and tributes has been left on the spot John was found.
Jim Hutton runs the Greater Manchester charity Mad Dogs Homeless Project, which helps to support those who are sleeping rough in the city centre and beyond.
Jim wrote on the Mad Dogs Facebook page: “Shocking that a relatively fit young man who had been rough sleeping for a short time could be found dead.”
According to Jim, John had a passion for Manchester United and Eminem, and was one of five siblings. His family said he had a learning disability but no known health conditions.
Sadly John had been struggling since the death of his mother two years ago, and this ‘played a huge part in causing him to go off the rails’.
Jim added: “John and his siblings didn’t have a great start in life and were brought up in what we would now term ‘extreme poverty’.
“It was caused in the main to a parent suffering severe mental health problems which impacted the family and as a result they were deprived of a lifestyle and upbringing many of us take for granted.
“John attended Woodside school in Bolton, a school for children with special needs.
“The family lost mum just over two years ago and this has played a part in causing John to go off the rails.”
Mad Dogs is helping to cover the cost of the funeral for John and is currently asking for donations – please dig deep if you can and help support the incredible work they do.
You can donate to the charity here and keep up to date with them on Facebook here.
Our thoughts are with John’s friends and family at this difficult time x