Tributes have been paid to a homeless woman whose body was found inside a tent on a city street.
The 30-year-old, named by friends as Aimee Teese, was found dead near Eldon Grove in Vauxhall, Liverpool, in the early hours of Tuesday.
Emergency services were called to the scene at 4am and the woman’s death is not being treated as suspicious.
Michelle Langan, who founded the Paper Cup Project, a volunteer group that supports Liverpool’s homeless, was one of the last to see Teese alive.
In an emotional post on Facebook, Langan said: “Last night I heard some sad news. A girl I have written about many times over the past three years was found dead in a tent. She was thirty years old.
“We saw her Monday night – possibly the last people to see her alive. We saw her on Matthew Street, she ran across the street and hugged me ‘hiya babe.’
“She knew I had a soft spot for her, she knew we worried about her. She looked awful – exhausted.
“Her tracky bottoms were full of holes, so we gave her some new ones and lots of other warm clothes.
“She also took some clothes for her friend who she was sharing a tent with. Ray teased her, because she took an LFC hat and put it on straight away. She laughed, and the last words I said to her were ‘look after yourself.’”
She added: “I’m gutted she has died like this – alone in a tent in our city.”
Langan told HuffPostUK that Teese had been engaging with the volunteer project since it began three years ago so they had really got to know her.
“I was really shocked as of course she was only 30-years-old and we had seen her that evening. She said she was hungry and we’d given her some food and a hot drink.
“She was really funny, a real character and was always looking out for other people on the street and making sure they got to hear about us. She was very popular with the homeless community and everyone looked out for her.”
Langan added that while the city has a shelter which is opened every night of the year, other services providing additional support for rough sleepers have been slashed.
“It’s great there is a shelter but you need services that look at the root causes, and you need floating support services because you’ve got to go to them. It takes a long time to build up the kind of trust needed to really help,” she said.
A friend told the Liverpool Echo that Teese was “funny” and “talkative” and that he was in shock after hearing the news.
Michael Cole said: “Aimee was so funny, comical, and she adored her daughter. I am in so much shock.
“I have known Aimee but long time lost contact with her few years ago. My daughter mentioned seeing her in town, I went looking couldn’t see her.
“She would be so happy to see you with a big smile on her face. She was so talkative.”
Another friend, who grew up with her in Netherton, described her as a “true friend”.
Kimmie Jen Kelly said: “Can’t believe you have gone. One of the funniest girls I knew. Heart of gold and a true friend to me and to others. Until we meet again my dear friend Aimee.”
In a statement, Merseyside Police confirmed that the death of the woman is not being treated as suspicious and her next of kin have been informed.
The force said: “Emergency services were in attendance at the junction of Bevington Street [and] Limekiln Lane at around 4am today (Tuesday 8 Jan).”