New figures have revealed the shocking number of homeless people living in south-east London and north Kent.

A new by homelessness charity Shelter shows the number of homeless people across Britain jumped by 13,000 year-on-year to 307,000 - more than the population of Newcastle.

Lewisham, Greenwich, Bromley, Bexley and Dartford all feature on the 50 worst areas for homelessness, according to the report.

The figures have been compiled from data covering temporary accommodation and rough sleeping.

Lewisham has the highest levels of homelessness in south-east London, with one in every 49 people being classed as homeless.

Councillor Damien Egan, cabinet member for housing, said more must be done by the Government to solve the issue.

He said: “Shelter’s report illustrates that the number of people who are victims of our broken housing market is growing by the day. It’s unacceptable that so many Londoners are unable to afford a permanent home due to the lack of housing supply and the impact of welfare reforms.

“In Lewisham we’re doing everything we can to tackle homelessness. Last year we opened our PLACE/Ladywell temporary housing scheme which has given 24 families, who were registered homeless, a roof over their heads.

“It’s time for the Government to do more to tackle homelessness in Lewisham by removing the restrictions on councils investment in building new homes, reversing the 1 per cent  social rent cut and driving further public and private investment in new homes.”

According to Shelter there are 6,214 homeless people, and a total number of 16 rough sleepers.

In Bromley, one in every 73 people is homeless, with a total of 4,481. There are three rough sleepers.

One in 84 people is homeless in Bexley where there are 11 rough sleepers and 2,929 homeless.

In Dartford, the total number of homeless people is 642, meaning that one in 164 people is homeless. There are nine rough sleepers.

10 practical ways you can help the homeless in south London, north Surrey and Kent as number of people sleeping rough goes up

Lastly in Greenwich, one in every 202 people is considered homeless with a total of 1,387.

A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: "We are determined to tackle all forms of homelessness, which includes making sure people in temporary accommodation are getting support to keep a roof over their heads.

"We're investing £950 million by 2020 to support these efforts, and bringing in the Homelessness Reduction Act. This requires councils to provide early support to people at risk of being left without anywhere to go."

A snapshot overnight count last autumn recorded 4,134 rough sleepers, a 134 per cent hike since the Conservatives took power, the National Audit Office said.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “It’s shocking to think that today, more than 300,000 people in Britain are waking up homeless. Some will have spent the night shivering on a cold pavement, others crammed into a dingy, hostel room with their children. And what is worse, many are simply unaccounted for.

“On a daily basis, we speak to hundreds of people and families who are desperately trying to escape the devastating trap of homelessness. A trap that is tightening thanks to decades of failure to build enough affordable homes and the impact of welfare cuts."

The figures do not include 'hidden' or unrecorded homelessness, which Shelter say is hard to quantify.