David Guetta, Sam Smith and Mumford & Sons: They all traveled behind the darkened windows of a black-and-white tour bus across the UK. Then the vehicle was taken out of service - and is now used for a very different purpose: A British couple turned it into a mobile homeless shelter with 14 beds in Manchester, as the "Guardian" reported.

Sid and Tess Williams had bought the decommissioned bus according to own data for 30,000 pounds (about 33,600 euros). From next winter, needy are to get sheltered for up to three months in the bus. It is planned that they will be assisted, among other things, with the search for accommodation and specialists in addicts.

The bus is open only to men older than 26 years. This group has the most difficulty finding an apartment, Williams said.

"The number of homeless people in Manchester has tripled in two years," said the 33-year-old. The former employee of a Christian aid organization has already gained experience with other bus projects, such as mobile youth centers in social hotbeds.

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Manchester: First Promibus, now mobile homeless shelter

The couple has called the former celebrity bus "Embassy" (German: Embassy). Williams has deliberately opted for this relatively neutral name without reference to homelessness, Williams told The Guardian: "This is not bad, but we want these men to get off the bus with dignity, without it being obvious why on board. "

The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, is also backing the project. Criticism comes from another organization that works for the homeless. With only 90 centimeters between bunk beds across the central aisle, the bus does not meet the minimum standard for emergency shelters, said Booth Center executive director Amanda Croom, the Guardian. Especially cases of hardship - such as traumatized homeless people - need more space.