Weymouth and Portland borough has the highest rate of homelessness in Dorset, new figures show.

The analysis by housing and homelessness charity Shelter found that there were 243 people in Weymouth and Portland rough sleeping or living in temporary accommodation.

In the borough, one in 270 people are homeless. This is the highest rate in Dorset and third highest in the South West.

Cllr Gill Taylor, Mayor of the borough, said: “The amount of people rough sleeping in Weymouth and Portland is unacceptable.

“We do an awful lot of work to prevent rough sleeping and a lot of work to prevent people becoming homeless in the first place.

“The main problem is we need more housing in Weymouth and Portland because we are struggling to find places for people to live.

Overall, almost 320,000 people in Britain are now homeless. This is an increase of 13,000 people since last year.

In the South West there are 10,653 homeless people. These figures lay bare the true scale of the region’s housing crisis, despite repeated Government pledges to tackle the problem.

Penny Walster, of Shelter, said: “It’s unforgivable that thousands of people in the South West have been swept up by the housing crisis and now have no place to call home. 

“These new figures show that homelessness is having a devastating impact on the lives of people right across the region.  

“Due to the perfect storm of spiralling rents, welfare cuts and a total lack of social housing, record numbers of people are sleeping out on the streets or stuck in the cramped confines of a hostel room. 

“We desperately need action now to change tomorrow for the hundreds of thousands whose lives will be blighted by homelessness this winter.  

“Shelter’s services have never been more needed. That’s why we’re asking the public to support us this winter so that we can answer as many calls as possible and have trained advisers on hand when people need them most.” 

To support Shelter’s appeal visit www.shelter.org.uk or text SHELTER to 70020 to donate £3.

If you have concerns about someone who may be rough sleeping, go to https://streetlink.force.com to connect them to local services.