More Herefordshire households now have no permanent home than when a law was brought in last year to help those on the brink of becoming homeless, figures reveal.

Shelter has warned that "catastrophic" numbers of people have been shunted onto the streets or trapped in temporary housing , in a housing crisis overlooked in favour of the UK's impending departure from the European Union.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government statistics show 47 families and couples lived in bed and breakfasts, hostels and other types of temporary accommodation during the first three months of this year – including 57 children.

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This means 0.6 household in every 10,000 was placed in temporary housing.

The figures represent the first full year of data since the Homelessness Reduction Act came into force in April last year.

Since then, there are seven more households in temporary accommodation.

Over the period, 24 households were secured accommodation for six months or more and were no longer threatened with homelessness.

Polly Neate, chief executive of homelessness charity Shelter, said: "While the housing crisis is out of the spotlight, families with young children are trapped in grim temporary accommodation like bed and breakfasts and shipping containers.

"Young people feel the damaging effects of growing up in a housing emergency.

"Cripplingly expensive private rents, frozen housing benefits, and lengthy waiting lists for social homes are pushing people to the sharp edge of a housing emergency which won't go away without genuinely affordable homes.

The Government recently announced £422 million will be spent tackling homelessness and rough sleeping next year, with funding up to £54m in 2020-21, a 13 per cent real terms funding boost compared with the current financial year.

Commenting on the figures, homelessness minister Luke Hall said "progress is being made".

He added: "The Act is helping people earlier so they are not having to experience homelessness in the first place.

"There is still more to do though, which is why we have committed a record investment to ending homelessness and rough sleeping for good.

"This vital funding will ensure progress continues to be made, with people given the help they need to turn their lives around."