NEW Bolton North-East MP Mark Logan has welcomed the government's decision to invest an extra £236million nationwide to tackle rough sleeping.

Yesterday local government secretary Robert Jenrick announced the extra cash in the House of Commons.

He said it help get another 6,000 homeless people off the streets at night building on a nine per cent fall in rough sleeping in the last year.

Mr Logan told Mr Jenrick: "I welcome your positive statement. Will you join me in paying tribute to the only Conservative-led council in Greater Manchester, which is working to bring an end to rough sleeping in Bolton?"

The cabinet minister replied: "I certainly will. I do not have the figures for Bolton at my fingertips, but Greater Manchester achieved a significant reduction in rough sleeping as a result of good work by councils and funding from the rough sleeping initiative, and we want that to continue. I believe I am going to visit Bolton shortly."

Mr Logan said afterwards: " The number of rough sleepers in Bolton reduced from 21 to 11 in 2018/19. The consequences of rough sleeping to physical and mental wellbeing are incredibly damaging. We need to target root causes."