A REPORT by the charity Shelter has shown a huge rise in the number of people at risk of being made homeless in the south west.

Over the last year, the helpline's advisers spoke to more than 4,500 callers on the brink of homelessness – a staggering 44 per cent surge from 2012.

Overall, the number of callers from the south west to the helpline – which is in part funded by Marks and Spencer – rose to a record high of more than 15,000 over the same period.

As England's shortage of affordable homes continues to push housing costs sky high, the charity is expecting even more families to be in desperate need of its help this Christmas.

A spokesman for South Hams Council said: 'Because housing benefits go directly to the individual renting their home, we are not aware of a family or individual being in a crisis until it reaches a critical state and that individual or family contacts us directly for help.

'Housing rent arrears would only be known by Devon and Cornwall Housing, DCH, as the main housing provider, individual housing associations and private landlords.'

'The figures we do have are those whom we have helped.'

The number of people who have contacted housing advice specifically with rent arrears and whose homelessness has been prevented through help from the council has risen from 20 in 2012/13 to 42 so far in 2014/15.

The number of people who have been at threat of homelessness, due to other reasons, who the council has been able to help was 316 in 2012/13, and already 200 so far in 2014/15.

The report from Shelter says that between October 2011 and September 2012, 3,218 people at risk of losing their homes called its helpline. This rose to 4,623 between October 2013 and Sept­ember 2014.

The number of people in total who called the Shelter helpline in the south west from April 2013 to April 2014 rose to 15,094 from 12,003 in April 2011 to April 2012, an increase of 26 per cent over the two years.

Shelter's analysis of Government statistics showed that nearly 36 households in the south west are at risk of losing their home every day.

Shelter's free, national telephone advice line is open Monday-Friday from 8am to 8pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 8am-5pm.

Trained housing advisers can give immediate and practical assistance and explain your rights, while suggesting specialist or local support services that can help longer term. For housing advice call 0808 800 4444.

Nobody from Devon and Cornwall Housing was available to comment before we went to press.