DOZENS of children in York are homeless or living in temporary accommodation, according to a charity.

The research - carried out by housing and homeless charity Shelter UK - suggests that 42 children in York are homeless or staying in temporary accommodation every day.

And there are a further 52 children in the same position in Harrogate, three in Selby and eight children in Ryedale.

Shelter UK said that according to the report, a total of 810 children in Yorkshire are homeless and living in temporary accommodation – a rise of 43 per cent in the last five years.

It added that for the first time the charity has exposed the frequency with which children are becoming homeless in the region, as its Generation Homeless report reveals that on average, 10 children lose their home every day in Yorkshire.

The report also reveals that 5,683 families with children in Britain are currently living in emergency B&Bs and hostels.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter UK, said: “The fact 10 children in Yorkshire become homeless every day is a scandalous figure and sharp reminder that political promises about tackling homelessness must be turned into real action.

“Day in, day out we see the devastating impact the housing emergency is having on children across the region. While they’re being uprooted from friends and moved into insecure temporary accommodation, their parents are left with the agony of not knowing when their children will have a stable place to call home again.”

“Every child has the right to a safe home and if we act now, our frontline advisers can support more homeless families in Yorkshire and the Humber to get to a better place. Every donation will help Shelter to be there for everyone who need us this Christmas.”

A spokesman for children's charity the NSPCC said: “The numbers of young people having to live in such cramped and inadequate conditions is deeply troubling.

“We know that homelessness can have terrible consequences on a child’s mental health and emotional state, and families should not have to endure such a difficult way of life.

“For any child struggling to cope in this situation, Childline is available, free and at any time of day or night, to help them talk through their worries.”