Sleeping homeless woman had bucket of cold water thrown over her in Abington Street

The incident was reported on Facebook by Northants Street Angels at about 10pm on Sunday (February 11) but has not been reported to Northamptonshire Police, a spokeswoman for the force today confirmed.

It's understood that the woman was sleeping in Abington Street before someone threw a bucket filled with cold water over her.

Describing the incident, Northants Street Angels said on their Facebook last night: "Underneath this bedding is a very poorly and very cold young lady. She was also a very wet young lady until we arrived at distribution this evening and exchanged all her wet clothing and wet bedding for dry items.

"We also managed to sort her two hot water bottles to try and get her warm again. The reason she was so cold and wet is because while sleeping behind Watts furniture shop, some vile excuse of a human decided to pour a bucket of cold water all over her, as we worked in the cold tonight we could literally hear her shivering and her teeth chattering in the freezing temperatures out there.

The post added: "We are totally disgusted by acts like this, but especially when it’s winter time and is going to be -3 tonight.

"This young lady could well have frozen to death if we hadn’t of helped her, and is clearly not very well with a very bad chesty cough. We wish we could have done more for her and I personally found it very hard to walk away and leave her there.

"Is this really what we have come to Northampton? Is this how we now treat people who already have nothing and no-one?"

The Northants Street Angels group have now started a fundraising page and have raised £255 for a three-night stay for the woman in a hotel room.

To donate: https://www.youcaring.com/northantsstreetangel-1096385?utm_campaign=buttonshare&utm_medium=url&utm_source=copy&utm_content=cf_cp_01