During the first lockdown dozens of South Lakeland households lived in temporary accommodation under the threat of homelessness, figures show.

Following the Government's announcement of a new £15 million package to support rough sleepers during the current lockdown, homeless charity Shelter warned it is critical that access to safe accommodation is not a lottery.

Between April and June, 31 South Lakeland households which were homeless or at risk of homelessness were placed in accommodation such as private housing or a B&B.

It meant that, between April and June, 0.64 households per 1,000 in South Lakeland were in temporary accommodation, figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government show.

For four households no accommodation was secured. The Government said these households chose to make their own arrangements while the local authority found them longer-term accommodation.

The rate across the North West was below the average for England, with 1.56 families per 1,000 – England's average was 3.39.

Across the region there were 4,940 households in temporary accommodation in the period, including 2,390 with children.

Polly Neate, chief executive of homeless charity Shelter, said: "There will be an extra £15 million for councils to support those sleeping rough or at risk of it – money we hope will be used to stop people sleeping on the streets this winter.

"It’s critical that access to safe accommodation is not a lottery in this pandemic, it must be there for everyone who needs it.

"The Government has made it clear that bailiffs should not physically evict people from their homes during this lockdown, which is absolutely the right thing to do when Covid cases are on the rise.

"Now is not the time to deny people the safety their home offers against this deadly virus."

She added that while evictions were suspended, other parts of the process such as issuing of eviction notices and scheduling of court hearings, could still go ahead.

Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, said: "The way we have protected rough sleepers from Covid-19 is widely considered to be the best in the world.

"At the start of the pandemic we launched Everyone In, which protected thousands of vulnerable people.

"That work hasn’t stopped and we’ve backed it with £700 million.

"As the new national measures come into force, I am launching the Protect Programme to ensure councils are offering everyone sleeping rough on our streets today somewhere safe to go – protecting people from the virus and moving forward with our goal of eliminating rough sleeping."