It was recently reported that ex-Manchester United players Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville have allowed a group of squatters to continue occupying what used to be the Manchester Stock Exchange ("the building"). The footballers recently purchased the Grade II listed building with the intention of renovating it into an exclusive hotel when the winter is up.

Much to the squatters' surprise and delight, Mr Neville has allowed the group to remain in the building until February 2016 when work is due to begin.

Instead of most landlords' immediate reaction to get a court order to remove the squatters, Mr Neville and Mr Giggs informed the group they can stay throughout the winter, welcoming the opportunity to help some of the city's homeless people. This win-win agreement makes it easy for the landowners, who need not concern themselves with the drawn-out process of trying to remove squatters from their property; many landlords still have trouble getting support from the police to remove occupiers without actual evidence that a criminal offence has been committed.

Wesley Hall, who leads the group of squatters and housing activists (called Manchester Angels), has begun this initiative, dubbed 'Operation Safe Winter'. This is part of a wider plan to provide homeless people in Manchester with hot food, health check-ups, workshops etc.