Filmmaker Who Lived as Homeless Person for Documentary Apparently Freezes to Death

(https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk)

A young filmmaker who sought to showcase what it is like to be homelessness by living "rough" on the streets for one week is believed to have frozen to death.

Lee Halpin, 26, who planned to use his documentary about life on the streets of Newcastle as part an application for an investigative journalism course, began his project on Sunday but was apparently found dead three days later in a derelict hostel in the West End of the city.

Oddly, two men have reportedly been arrested in connection with Halpin's death on suspicion of supplying controlled drugs, one of the filmmaker's friends told the Evening Chronicle he believes hypothermia was to blame.

Despite the arrest of the two men, Northumbria Police spokesman said it was believed no third party was involved in Halpin's death.

“No one knows how he passed away, but we think it could have been hypothermia," said Daniel Lake, Halpin's friend of 10 years.

"He made the ultimate sacrifice trying to raise awareness about what was happening to other people."

Below is the video Halpin produced for his Channel4 application: