Gary Neville Allows Homeless to Stay on Occupied Site Until February

Gary Neville has been praised after allowing homeless squatters to remain for the winter on a site he and Ryan Giggs plan on turning into a boutique hotel.

The former Manchester United team-mates reportedly bought the old Stock Exchange building in Manchester for £1.5m, but it was recently occupied by protesters who wanted to turn the historic building into a "community hub."

The group had previously been kicked out of an empty office block nearby, but after talking to Neville on the phone, Manchester Angels leader Wesley Hall, an advocate for the city's homeless, confirmed they would be allowed to stay until the main building work begins in February.

"I was crying and shaking after I got off the phone. The graft has paid off. What a great guy Gary Neville is. We’ve been in negotiations with him and things are looking good," Hall told the Manchester Evening News.

"I’m just in shock. He’s such an amazing guy. He told me he’s always tried to help out homeless people in Manchester, but wanted to do more. It’s exactly what Manchester needs right now.”

Well done, G. Nev.

Update: Tuesday, 27 October

Gary Neville has subsequently met some of the squatters that he and Ryan Giggs have allowed to stay in the £1.5m building during the winter.

The England coach spent an hour with the group of homeless people, per the Daily Mail, as he took a closer look at the upkeep of the building.

In the newspaper report, it's also claimed that Neville has paid for showers, toilets and hot meals for the group.

[Manchester Evening News; Daily Mail]