Rough sleeping in London surges by almost a fifth in three months despite Andy Burnham's pledge to end it

New figures show 819 people are currently living on London's streets — up 8% on last year and 20% on the previous quarter — exposing the scale of the crisis Andy Burnham inherited when he became PM in July. First-time rough sleepers made up almost half of all those recorded in the capital between July and September. Wednesday's Budget committed a further £432 million to tackle the problem, bringing total investment behind Burnham's pledge to £874 million through to 2029.

Nearly eight in ten rough sleepers in London have complex needs such as mental health conditions, charities warn.

St Mungo's chief Emma Haddad cautioned that many people are 'not yet ready to accept an offer', because repeated failures by the system have left them unwilling to trust it.

Burnham has pledged every rough sleeper will receive an offer of help by Christmas, but campaigners say sustained support — not a one-off push — is what will decide success.