Rough sleepers have been given hotel rooms to live in by the council to help them self-isolate during the coronavirus outbreak.

A total of 21 rough sleepers in Swindon have now got rooms in town centre hotels following government advice for people to go into lockdown.

A spokesman for Swindon Borough Council said: “We are anticipating that we will need to provide accommodation for a minimum of three weeks, but this is all dependent on advice coming from government.”

He said every rough sleeper was provided with enough food for seven days including for breakfast, lunch, a snack and dinner.

“This will be repeated every week for as long as is needed,” he added.

The spokesman continued: “We are working with Turning Point, and phone assessments with their prescribers have been arranged for those who need to get onto a methadone script.

"Those already on a script and who are not self-isolating can continue to collect as usual and for any who are self-isolating, an arrangement is in place where we can collect on the client’s behalf.

“As ever, daily support is also being provided both face to face and over the telephone with all of our rough sleeping clients.”

Local authorities were asked by the government to house all rough sleepers and people staying in hostels and night shelters by the weekend.

An email, sent to homelessness managers and rough sleeping co-ordinators in every local authority last Thursday, said: “As you know, this is a public health emergency.

“We are all redoubling our efforts to do what we possibly can at this stage to ensure that everybody is inside and safe by this weekend, and we stand with you in this.

“These are unusual times so I’m asking for an unusual effort. Many areas of the country have already been able to ‘safe harbour’ their people which is incredible. What we need to do now though is work out how we can get ‘everyone in’.”

The email was sent by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which is yet to comment.

Homeless charity Crisis' chief executive Jon Sparkes said: “Questions remain about how local councils will be supported to do this, and whether additional funding, or assistance securing hotel rooms, will be made available.

“We also need to see a package of support so that, when the outbreak subsides, the outcome is not that people return to the streets.

“The government has committed to ending rough sleeping by 2025 – this proves it can be done in 2020 if we make it the priority it deserves to be.”