New figures suggest 63% increase in number of homeless people in Wales

A homelessness charity has warned that the number of people sleeping rough on the streets in Wales has increased by 63%.

The new figures released by Crisis show that across Britain there are more than 12,300 people sleeping on the street. The charity says a further 12,000 are spending the night in cars, trains, buses, or tents.

Crisis say the figures "complete the picture" compared to government statistics as the new data combines local authority estimates with academic studies, statutory statistics, and data from homelessness support services.

Between 2012 and 2017, the charity say the number of people sleeping rough increased by 120% in England and 63% in Wales. In Scotland the figure fell by 6%.

Previous research by Crisis suggests homeless people are almost 17 times more likely to be victims of violence. They estimate people sleeping on the streets are 15 times more likely to be verbally abused compared to the general public.

Previously ITV News spoke to a homeless man who suffered burns after his tent was set on fire in the middle of Cardiff. He said it was a "lucky escape" after his dog started to bark, alerting him to the fire.