Anthony Horn’s body was sadly found on Boxing Day
Tributes at the scene for Anthony Horn(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Manchester City Council has issued a statement following the tragic death of a homeless man in the city centre.
The sad discovery of the man’s body was made near the Bridgewater Hall on Boxing Day morning. The man, named by family and friends as 47-year-old Anthony Horn, was sleeping rough at the time.
His family said he had been estranged from them for around eight to 10 years after disappearing following a ‘catastrophic heartbreak’. It is believed Mr Horn may have died on the street from the cold.
Council bosses have now described his death as ‘deeply sad’ in a statement. They stressed the council has dedicated teams to support the homeless, but that ‘it is not always a simple or easy transition’ to help people off the streets.
In full, the statement issued by the Manchester City Council spokesperson said: “The news of his death is deeply sad for his family and his friends particularly at this time of year and we offer our condolences to all of them.
Floral tributes left near the Bridgewater Hall(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“We have dedicated outreach teams, who work alongside numerous partners and charities, all year round to support people to make the move into accommodation to help them off the streets, but it is not always a simple or easy transition as the reasons people are on the street is often very complex. If you are worried about anyone on the streets please report to streetlink.”
Friends said Mr Horn, originally from Bury, was one of a small group of homeless men who regularly slept under an overhang at the back of the concert venue. His sister Linda Horn described him as a ‘lovely lad’.
She said: “We were really close when we were younger. He was generous and caring. He was lovely lad.
“He made everything into a joke. He was so funny – he’d make your sides ache with laughing. But he had a lot of heartache. I’d go as far as to say it was catastrophic and he just went off the rails.”
Ms Horn said she would often search the streets of Manchester looking for her brother, but never found him. She added: “He came to see his son, then just went off the radar. We tried to find him.
“I would walk round Manchester asking people, leaving my number with soup kitchens, but we just couldn’t find him. He was just all over the place. We think he moved down south for a while.
“But there wasn’t a day went by when I didn’t think about him.”
Mr Horn’s friend, Anthony O’Brien, who had also been sleeping rough over Christmas, said he had known him for around 10 years. “He was a really good lad”, he told the M.E.N.
“He loved his football, it’s a shame for him to go the way he went. Me and my wife were out here Christmas night and it was absolutely freezing.”
Police outside the Bridgewater Hall following the discovery(Image: Liam Richardson)
The temperature fell to around 4C before dawn on Boxing Day, according to data from the Whitworth Observatory. Greater Manchester Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death – which is not being treated as suspicious.
A blue police tent was in place at the rear of the concert venue for most of the day on Boxing Day following the discovery. Tributes have been laid at the scene, with several bouquets of flowers placed at a sheltered area of path, not far from the water.
A card from the Mr Horn’s family read: “Rest in peace son. So sorry you didn’t reach out. You will always be in our heart.”
A spokesperson for GMP said previously: “Officers were called to reports of a body near Bridgewater Hall a 9.30am this morning (December 26). Sadly, the male was pronounced dead at the scene. It is being treated as non-suspicious and enquiries remain ongoing.”
Ms Horn said she was awaiting confirmation from the coroner, but said at this stage it’s thought her brother died ‘mainly due to the freezing conditions’.
She added: “I went last night to see where he passed. It’s really hard to think that he died there like that.
“It’s hit us really hard. Anthony had issues, he really did, but he didn’t deserve to die like this.
“I’m upset, not just for my brother, but for everyone else [all the other homeless people] I saw last night. It’s heart-breaking.
“It shouldn’t be happening, but it’s the way of the world now. But the thing is Anthony knew where we all lived. He could have come home at any time, but unfortunately he didn’t.”