Rough sleepers were given extra help this Christmas after homeless charity Spear and Richmond Council secured £250,000 of support.

The bid was submitted with support from the South West London Housing Partnership and will assist homeless people in Richmond, Wandsworth, Merton and Sutton.

The grant will be used to focus on ways homeless people across all four boroughs can improve their health until March 2016.

Stuart Nevill, chief executive at Spear, said: "This funding will allow us to make significant improvements in how we work together to meet the health needs of some of the most vulnerable and hard to engage people in our communities."

Richmond Council cabinet member for housing, Councillor Lisa Blakemore, said: "Many rough sleepers have also experienced trauma in their lives which impacts on their mental health and skills they have to live independently.

"This is why it is so important to have a first class service which caters for their interdependent needs and issues."