A top politician spent a night sleeping rough to find out how it feels to be homeless because he "needed to experience" their discomfort.

Croydon and Sutton's Greater London Authority member, Steve O'Connell, spent Saturday night trying to sleep rough in Wallington High Street.

The initiative was to raise money for homeless charity Shelter and so he could get an impression of the reality facing many Londoners every day.

Mr O'Connell said: "I needed to experience the sort of discomfort some people in these boroughs and across London face.

"I tried to sleep but we couldn't get any sleep.

"It was alright for me because I was able to go and get in my own bed the following day - but that's not the case for everyone."

Mr O'Connell and his party raised around £300 for Shelter.