FOUR students from the North-East have completed a project to supply clothing and blankets to homeless people.

The Durham University undergraduates were inspired after hearing from their lecturer about how homelessness drives people to crime through desperation.

They launched the appeal in February after a module run by Dr Maggie McDowell, who interviewed homeless women and service providers for her PhD.

They sent out emails and using social networking to get support for their appeal.

Camille Mulcaire, 20, from London, who is studying politics, said: “We were inspired to help after hearing from the experience of people on the streets of Newcastle from Maggie.

“Homelessness is still a massive problem and it is shocking that something like this happening so close to us all.

The other members of the group are 20-year-old Kate Hutchinson, from Barnsley, William Mills, 20 from, Watford, and Dave Tompkinson, 19, from Sheffield.

The group will hand over the 50 bin bags of clothes, blankets and shoes to the Cyrenians, a North-East homeless charity, to distribute to people.

They plan to repeat the exercise next year.