A HOMELESS shelter saw a record breaking number of rough sleepers throughout winter this year.

The Bracknell Night Shelter closed its centre on Saturday, March 30 after providing a place for homeless people over the cold months.

A total of 94 rough sleepers used the centres for overnight accommodation after having no place to go.

Elaine Chalmers Brown, director of Pilgrim Hearts Trust, said: "We do not just throw these people back out onto the streets.

"They are welcomed at our twice a week drop in centre at St Andrews Church Hall in Priestwood, where we offer then help and advice so they can find a solution to their problems.

"They can also access training and we help them to find employment and a permanent home." Pilgrim Hearts Trust

The Bracknell Night Shelter was coordinated by The Pilgrim Hearts Trust in partnership with local churches and charitable organisations.

The number of people sleeping rough on the streets of Bracknell has tripled since 2010, according to official figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government.

In December 2018, a street count revealed there are 31 people sleeping rough in Reading, which is more than five times the amount recorded in 2010.

Pilgrim Hearts Trust aim to work closely with Wokingham charities to open a night shelter for next winter.