54 families were made homeless in Milton Keynes during the week before Christmas

MK Council dealt with an average of 11 new families a day presenting themselves with nowhere to go for the festive season.

They were all placed in temporary flats or houses, joining the other 536 families currently in such accommodation waiting for a permanent roof over their heads.

For many of them, their plight was caused by private landlords ending tenancies.

The end of a private tenancy is now the single biggest cause of homelessness in England, with the number of cases more than trebling over the past seven years.

Councillor Nigel Long, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “Christmas was tough this year for those families. Over 1000 children are homeless.

“They would have been crammed into a small amount of space, often sharing kitchen and bathroom facilities with other homeless families.”

Of the 590 families in temporary accommodation, 15 will be in bed and breakfast facilities due to the lack of alternatives.

Councillor Long said: “I cannot think of anything worse than being homeless at Christmas.

“It is an indictment of our wealthy Country that Government has allowed so many people to lose their homes week after week.”

He added, “590 families is less than last year, when 645 families were in temporary accommodation. But it is still a dreadful position.”

Immediately before Christmas, there were 61 rough sleepers provided with temporary accommodation through the councils Housing First approach, said Councillor Long.

The Winter Night Shelter scheme also opened at the beginning of November and will stay open until March. It is providing 30 places for rough sleepers.