City councillors have been told that spending on helping homeless people is now more than £1 million over budget.

The overspend has been rising steadily during the last year and the current total is £1,035,000, a rise of £53,000 over the previous month.

This is because the number of homeless households being cared for in the city has risen from 260 to 277.

If it was not for the money overspent on homeless people, Brighton and Hove Council would be breaking even.

The council is trying to deal with the problem and get more people rehoused. It also believes Government changes in housing benefit will help.

The figures were reported to a council scrutiny board meeting last night. Chairman Les Hamilton said the authority had to respond when homeless people turned up on its doorstep.

The board was told the council spent £36,000 on legal fees connected with the Palmeira House children's home when parents challenged the proposed closure.

After a High Court hearing earlier this year, agreement was reached that the children would be cared for at the home in Hove at least until they became adults.

But the council does not know how much of the other side's costs - which could be up to £100,000 - it will have to meet.