Around 400 homeless people in south west London could be helped "off the streets" thanks to a £400K grant.

Richmond, Kingston and Wandsworth councils have been awarded £400k from the Department of Communities and Local Government to fund homelessness prevention schemes and help support rough sleepers.

The councils, working with homeless charity SPEAR, applied for the funding to expand existing support programmes and introduce new services in each borough.

Stuart Nevill from SPEAR Chief Executive said the grant will enable the charity to reach more rough sleepers.

He said: "Our work preventing homelessness and providing fast and effective solutions for people rough sleeping in South West London is a matter of the utmost urgency – people’s lives depend on it.

"Rough sleeping continues to grow and so must the services we provide."

Cllr Lisa Blakemore, Richmond Council Cabinet Member for Housing, said that the money was intended to help some of the “most vulnerable” people in Richmond who face the harrowing prospect of sleeping rough.

She said: "We have a shortage of housing in the borough and sadly, homelessness has increased in the past few years across London.

"We believe that one of the best ways of tackling it is to help people to avoid becoming homeless in the first instance."

 Cllr Paul Ellis, Cabinet Member for Housing at Wandsworth Council, said it was "an excellent example" of what councils can do when they work together while the Leader of Kingston Council Kevin Davis said it was "terrific news". 

Earlier in the month Wandsworth Council released figures that there will be 1492 families homeless this Christmas in the borough.

7,580 people were recorded as rough sleeping in London in 2014/15.

This number has increased every year since 2007 and is now more than double the numbers in the mid-2000s.