Nine homeless people died in Shropshire over past six years
Nine homeless people have died in the county over the past six years, official estimates show.
Homelessness charity Crisis said that the scale of the reported situation across England and Wales, where more than 700 people died last year, showed "lessons from these tragic deaths go unlearnt".
Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures show that an estimated four homeless people died in Telford and Wrekin between 2013 and 2018, and five in Shropshire.
The ONS counted anyone with no fixed abode at the time of their death, including rough sleepers and people living in night shelters or homeless hostels.
Across England and Wales, 726 homeless people died in 2018 – up 22 per cent from the previous year, and 51 per cent more than in 2013.
This was the biggest annual rise in homeless deaths since records began, driven by a huge increase in drugs fatalities.
An estimated 294 drug-related deaths occurred last year, compared to 190 in 2017.
Opiates were the most frequently mentioned substances on the death certificates of those identified as homeless in 2018, with heroin or morphine the most common forms.
Sombre
Crisis chief executive Jon Sparkes said: "It is heart-breaking that hundreds of people were forced to spend the last days of their lives without the dignity of a secure home.
"This is now the second year running where we have known the true scale of the human cost of homelessness, yet still the lessons from these tragic deaths go unlearnt.
He added: "It's crucial that the Government urgently expand the safeguarding system used to investigate the deaths of vulnerable adults to include everyone who has died while street homeless, so we can help prevent more people from dying needlessly.
"Because in this day and age, there is no excuse for anyone dying without a safe place to call home."
A Government spokesman said: "Every single death on our streets is one too many and these statistics are a sombre reminder that there is still much more to do to tackle homelessness and end rough sleeping for good.
"Drugs can devastate lives, ruin families and damage communities, which is why we are undertaking a comprehensive review which will help protect the most vulnerable – including homeless individuals – from the harms that drugs cause and give them a chance to recover and turn their lives around."
The Government is investing £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and its causes, he added.
