More then 24,000 people will be forced to sleep rough over Christmas according to research by charity Crisis.

These people will try and find shelter in cars,trains, busses or tents or anywhere else they can try and get some rest.

Crisis believes that official figures are not correct and are higher than the Government has reported. Crisis estimates that 12,300 people are sleeping out on the streets, while official numbers claim that 4,751 are.

Another 12,000 will be in tents, sheds, bins, night buses etc.

The rough sleeping increases in England are at 120%, while in Scotland numbers have reduced by 5% since 2010. In Wales it is estimated to have increased by 75% over the same period.

The chief executive of Crisis, Jon Sparkes, said:“Christmas should be a time of joy, but for thousands of people sleeping rough, in tents or on public transport it will be anything but. While most of the country will be celebrating and enjoying a family meal, those who are homeless will face a struggle just to stay safe and escape the cold.

“This situation simply cannot continue. While the Scottish government has taken the first step in announcing a plan to eradicate homelessness, full implementation cannot come soon enough. Meanwhile, the governments in England and Wales must step up urgently with their own plans to end this crisis.”