Two children have died after being found unconscious in a vehicle in a car park today.

Police believe the nine-year-old boy and two-year-old girl froze to death as they, three other kids and adults had been sleeping in the van for several days.

All five youngsters, thought to be siblings,. were rushed to hospital when their mother noticed they were having difficulty breathing in the car in Greektown, Detroit.

But the nine-year-old and two-year-old siblings were declared dead on arrival at hospital. The three other children were assessed and are now in stable conditions, according to local media.

Although the cause of deaths have not yet been determined, but police suspect the children had become susceptible to the elements in the cold Michigan city. Police are warning the public it is not safe to sleep in vehicles and support should be sought if families become homeless.

The tragedy in the US comes as pressure mounts in this country for the government to do more to tackle homelessness. Shelter, the houseing and homeless charity, said the UK must invest in affordable social homes with rents tied to local incomes. Speaking last month, a spokesperson said: "We need 90,000 each year for 10 years to end the housing emergency for good."

And grim figures show almost one in eight private renters face the threat of being evicted from their homes this winter. The finding in a survey shared with The Mirror highlights the scale of the housing crisis with tenants facing sky-high bills. Cash-strapped renters are also waiting for long-promised government reforms to prevent landlords evicting them on a whim and without reason.

According to a poll - again by Shelter - around 8% of private renters had received an eviction notice or threatened with one between October and November. It also found over 4% of tenants are behind on their rent - putting them in danger of losing their home in the near future.

The government has promised to deliver on its pledge to ban no-fault evictions - section 21 notices - and the Renters' Rights Bill is currently making its way through the Commons. The promise to end the practice was first made by ex-PM Theresa May in 2019 - but never delivered on by the Conservatives.