A NEW project which aims to end rough sleeping in Bradford has celebrated its official opening.

No Second Night Out works to get rough sleepers accommodation as soon as they become homeless, to prevent them becoming hardened to life on the streets.

It is part of a Government initiative to end homelessness, which began in London in 2011 before spreading to other areas of the country.

Bradford's hub has been set up in an existing hostel in Barkerend Road, on the edge of the city centre.

It has 17 beds for single people, with an extra ten beds on standby for cold weather snaps.

The project is being run by housing charity Developing Initiatives Supporting Communities (DISC) and Bradford-based homeless charity Hope Housing, and has been funded by Bradford Council.

Using a dedicated outreach team, the service will aim to help get people off the streets immediately, and offer them short term emergency housing while also helping to work out a longer-term solution to their needs.

While similar services have been offered in Bradford before, this is the first time such a variety of help and support is being offered under one roof.

Avril Tully, executive director at DISC, said: "The Bradford No Second Night Out project is helping by reaching out to rough sleepers and offering them support to make positive changes.

"It has a particular focus on those people who find themselves sleeping rough for the first time and will offer an immediate alternative so that they don't have to spend another night on the streets.

"The project also provides emergency shelter and a bed for the night for any rough sleepers who need it."

The project has been up-and-running since October 12, but the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Joanne Dodds, officially cut the ribbon today.

Cllr Dodds said: "It is important that people can get help as quickly as possible when they first become homeless.

"This new service aims to offer a longer-term solution as well as intervening in the short term."

The project has three beds for women and 14 for men, with a range of facilities for both the long-term homeless and those new to the streets.

Centre staff said the people they were helping varied enormously, from those who found they were no longer eligible for benefits to others who had broken up with their partners and were not able to stay at home.

The centre is being manned by seven staff during the day and two overnight.