Homeless teen 'housed with drug users' in Newport

A council is reviewing its support for homeless teenagers after one youth claimed he was housed with drug users.

The teenager, named as Dan, told a BBC and Observer investigation the shared house in Newport was "awful", claiming he was left there without support.

The 5 Live programme found the number of looked-after children in Wales in accommodation without live-in support rose by 73% since 2010, from 75 to 130.

Newport City Council said Dan should have been given further support sooner.

Dan was given emergency accommodation in a bed and breakfast for two nights in June 2017, when he became homeless at the age of 16.

He was then moved in to a shared house which he described as "awful",

"It was very dingy, the bathroom was disgusting, there were needles all over the place, drug user needles," he said.

"There was a lot of noise, a lot of violence, police coming back and forth constantly.

"It was horrifying and I was very scared."

Newport City Council said Dan was given support while in the six-bedroom shared house, including help to apply for housing, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Referrals were made to social services by a housing officer and to the supporting people gateway service, the council said.

However Dan claimed he had been left to rely on himself.

A spokeswoman for the council said: "Social services did subsequently give further support but we acknowledge that this should have taken place as soon as possible after he presented as homeless."

She said procedures were being reviewed, but added that in view of the demand for suitable accommodation it was "unlikely that the outcomes for Daniel ... would have been any different".

The council said Dan was moved into supported housing for 10 young people in September 2017, before moving into his own home 12 months later.