THE number of people sleeping rough on Scotland’s streets has risen by 10 per cent in less than two years.

The figures were revealed in an analysis by Scottish Labour – and the party has called on the Scottish Government to do more to help those sleeping on the streets, and to stop the situation getting worse.

Official figures show 2,682 people reported as having slept rough on at least one occasion in the three months before registering as homeless.

This is a slight increase of 22 people on last year’s figure, which was itself a nine per cent rise from 2015-16.

Previously, the number had steadily fallen, down from 5,845 in 2008-09 to 2,434 in 2015-16.

Scottish Labour believes the true figure of rough sleeping is likely to be higher, as not all of those on the streets will register with local authorities as homeless.

The party called for the First Minister to begin counting rough sleeping numbers and share information among Government agencies, local authorities and voluntary organisations.

Scottish Labour housing spokeswoman Pauline McNeill said: “Rough sleeping has become a visible sign of a society failing people. Many more people are vulnerable to homelessness due to the Tory and SNP austerity, and that must be prevented.

“It is unacceptable that anyone should be sleeping rough in 21st-century Scotland – yet these figures show that is actually on the rise.”

The Glasgow MSP praised the work of the Government’s Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action group but said it was “farcical” the Scottish Government had agreed to take forward many proposals “without acknowledging that our local authorities are starved of resources and need sufficient funding to be able to deliver them”.

This is a feeling echoed by those suffering on the street. John is a Glasgow resident who was made homeless just last weekend, forcing him to sleep on the streets for the first time.

After contacting Glasgow City Council, the former resident of the Milton area of the city was given an appointment to register with the council, but will have to wait until at least Tuesday to meet a caseworker.

“I’ve only had to do this for a few days, and I have light at the end of the tunnel for me,” he said. “But you never know, in the last week I’ve met guys who have spent years sleeping rough. I don’t have a drug or alcohol dependency to pay for, I can just concentrate on having a bed for the night.

“There are lots of people in the same position as me, new to this and never having dealt with homelessness before.”

The Scottish Government has said that “tackling and preventing homelessness is a key priority”.

A spokesman added: “We recognise there is more that needs to be done, particularly for people with complex needs who require more than just housing. “That is why we set up the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group to bring forward recommendations on how to end rough sleeping, transform the use of temporary accommodation, and end homelessness.”