Campaigners hope a bus they have transformed into a shelter for the homeless will soon be open in Weymouth.

The people behind the charity Bus Shelter Dorset are hoping the service will be up and running by early September.

Set up by Emily and Eddie McCarron, the initiative aims to change the lives of homeless people in Dorset for the better.

The couple faced a setback in May when their application to park the bus at either the Pavilion car park or the Preston Beach Road car park was refused by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council.

Emily said: “We are now working with statutory agencies and private land owners to find a suitable site where we can park the bus and start helping the homeless people in Weymouth get off the streets and get a fresh start.”

She hopes the bus will be open by September 1.

The double-decker bus has been renovated and includes sleeping pods for up to 20 people - 17 men upstairs and three women downstairs.

There is an area for volunteers to sleep, a consultation area, wood burner, seating area and toilets.

A fully-equipped kitchen trailer is attached.

When in use, people aboard will be offered the use of a PO box so that they are able to apply for work, register with GP and make benefit claims.

There will be a minimum of two volunteers on the bus at any one time who will all be DBS checked and complete adult safeguarding training.

Clients staying on the bus will be expected to engage with existing services and be willing to receive support.

Since its inception in March, donations to the project have flooded in – the bus itself was gifted by Damory – and most recently Weymouth chip shop Fish ‘n’ Fritz donated its prize money from a Weymouth BID event.

During the BID’s Jurassic Egg Hunt and Roarsome Dino Day, the chippy scooped £50 and owner Paul Hay thought the Bus Shelter Dorset a worthwhile cause.

For the past three years, Mr Hay has been running a suspended coffee scheme, whereby customers can pay for a coffee, tea or food for a person in need.

Mr Hay said: “It was great being recognised by the BID for our input during their Easter egg hunt and I wanted to do something worthwhile and productive with the money. £50 is not a lot but as we have seen here with our suspended coffee scheme, little things can make a difference.

“With that in mind I have decided to donate a pound from every scampi and chips served in the restaurant to the Bus Shelter Dorset across the summer.”

Emily added: “We would like to thank Paul from Fish ’n’ Fritz for this generous donation.

“This will help us do some extra things to the bus which is now ready for its end of summer launch.”