Homeless shelter set up in fomer betting shop

The vacant shop will soon be transformed as part of the plans

A homeless night shelter is to be set up in a former betting shop in Preston city centre.

It will be able to house 16 people at the site in Market Street and could be open by next month, the city's council said.

The authority said it would help combat "aggressive begging" and authorised it to run for three years.

The facility will operate as an emergency shelter, meaning users will not be able to live there on a permanent basis.

Access will be controlled by a buzzer system and anybody drunk or under the influence of drugs will not be allowed in.

No-one arriving after 23:00 BST will be allowed in and it will close at 09:00 the next day.

Councillor Nweeda Khan said the council was “dedicated to supporting the most vulnerable citizens of Preston, to assist them to rebuild their lives and find safe and secure accommodation away from the streets”.

The shelter will be staffed at all times by two paid members of staff and four volunteers alongside an on-call manager.

The council said seven objections were lodged to the shelter plan with concerns about anti-social behaviour.

The shelter will include single-sex areas and an 11-bed dormitory of single rooms on the first floor.

There will also be two disabled rooms, each with a double bed, and a private single bedroom.

The shelter will also operate as a walk-in support centre.