Homeless man dies in Belfast city centre

A homeless man in his 30s has died in Belfast city centre, a charity has said.

The man was found in a doorway in High Street on Friday morning by staff members from the Welcome Organisation's Street Outreach team.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service confirmed it was called at 08:28 GMT. It was reported that a man was unconscious and not breathing.

An ambulance and two rapid response vehicles were dispatched.

Chief executive of the Welcome Organisation, Sandra Moore, described the death as "tragic".

"The sad reality is that the individuals involved in rough sleeping are amongst the most vulnerable in society, all too often suffering mental ill health, drug or alcohol addiction, or all three.

"It is not at all uncommon for people in this category to choose to spend time street drinking or taking legal or illegal substances and then either choosing not to return to their accommodation or take up the offer of a temporary bed in a hostel.

"While there is a pressure on beds in the city, this doesn't necessarily equate to the number of people sleeping rough," she said.

"Our thoughts are with the man's family and friends," she added.

Police said they attended a report of a sudden death of a man.

A post mortem examination is due to be carried out to establish the cause of death.