Government cash is being sought to fund a post to help rough sleepers in Littlehampton and Bognor after concern was raised that numbers are rising.

At present the exact figures for people sleeping rough on the streets are unknown but agencies in the towns are concerned there has been an increase in people begging for a bed for the night.

Arun District Council fears the problem of rough sleepers could be getting worse and is putting together a bid for £50,000 to fund a support worker post for the homeless. The Government has put £4 million aside for a Rough Sleepers Initiative and has invited agencies to bid for cash.

Les Goodwin, deputy services director at Arun District Council said: "We have had reports of rough sleepers in the town but we do not know whether it is the same people going round knocking on doors or different people.

"We believe the problem is worse in Bognor than Littlehampton with people coming down to the south coast looking for work and ending up on the streets. We have to identify how bad the problem is first and then find ways of dealing with it.

"We have spoken to agencies in the town and believe this is a problem which needs to be investigated but we need cash to fund a support worker post to do that."

Valerie Sharp of the Arun Council for Voluntary Services was worried when homeless people came knocking on the door of the voluntary organisation as there was nowhere to send them.

Mrs Sharp said: "Normally we have people coming round in the summer months but it is very unusual in February. I felt there had been an increase in the number of people sleeping rough but wanted to get some idea of the size of the problem so I contacted the council.

"There seems to be a problem in rising numbers in Arun and that is something which needs addressing and if that is the case we need more resources. In Littlehampton there are very few places homeless people can go. We have to redirect them to Chichester and Brighton."

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