Selby Council is drawing up new measures to tackle the mounting problem of homelessness.

In the past two months the council has dealt with a record 61 applications from homeless people, stretching its resources to the limit.

Council chiefs say their emergency housing is now "permanently full", and they will have to turn to bed-and-breakfast accommodation for the first time in ten years unless something is done quickly.

Both council hostels - one in Ousegate, Selby, and Tadcaster's Edgerton Lodge - have got "no vacancies" signs up, along with a row of terraced council houses, in Douglas Street, Selby, and Cygnet House, which is for young homeless people.

Selby District Council's housing manager, Mark Steward, said: "There's a perception that there is no homelessness in Selby, but that's far from the truth.

"A lot of homelessness in Selby is hidden, with people sleeping overnight at friends' or relatives' houses."

A special meeting of the council's Social Board has been called for next month to put together a new strategy to address the problem.

The strategy's main thrust will be to try to prevent people ending up homeless by giving them debt counselling, working more closely with private landlords to head off evictions, speeding up benefits and improving the turn-over time of vacant houses.

The council's director of community services, Steve Martin, said one of the main reasons for the problem was the increasing number of council houses they were selling under the right-to-buy scheme.

He said: "We have sold over 200 houses in the last two years, which means we have less properties to let.

"We are about to sign a private finance initiative project for 250 new social houses, all of which will go to people on our housing waiting list, so that should ease the situation."

District councillor Steve Shaw-Wright said: "Another worry is the closure of the Selby pit complex, which could lead to even more homelessness."

Coun Liz Casling, the council's Social Board chairman, said: "The situation is worrying, especially where children are concerned."

Updated: 11:45 Friday, June 27, 2003