Dexter is wearing a green hat and has his black collie on his shoulder.
Image caption,

Dexter and his dog Reginald have been offered a bed as part of the scheme to get rough sleepers off the streets before Christmas

ByHannah Miller, Politics Reporter, BBC Bristol and Pete Simson, Politics producer
  • Published10 November 2026

Work has begun to try to meet the prime minister’s pledge to offer all rough sleepers a route off the streets before Christmas.

Andy Burnham made the promise on his first day in the job and the government has since allocated more than £12m to the West of England Combined Authority to tackle homelessness over the next three years.