More than one quarter of all rough sleepers in the capital live on the streets of Westminster.

The borough has the highest number of homeless people in England at 140, according to latest government figures based on a count in August last year.

Of the 543 rough sleepers in London, there were 38 people sleeping on the streets in Hillingdon, 23 people in Kensington and Chelsea, 17 in Hounslow and 15 in Ealing.

The figure was 10 or less in Hammersmith and Fulham, Brent and Harrow.

The capital, which accounts for 22 per cent of rough sleepers nationally, was the only area in England to see a fall in numbers from 2012, down three per cent. Figures rose by seven per cent in the rest of the country.

Councillor Rachael Robathan, Westminster Council’s cabinet member for adults and public health, said Westminster’s location in the heart of the capital attracts a large number of homeless people.

She said: “Westminster is right in the centre of London and contains a number of major transport terminals, including Victoria coach station, so unfortunately it is unsurprising that we have higher levels of rough sleeping than other parts of the city.

“We work very closely with charities, homeless shelters and outreach organisations and are currently in the process of re-commissioning our services so they meet the highest possible standards.

“Our aim is that no-one should have to sleep rough two nights in a row, and our outreach workers are on the streets every night working hard to achieve it.”

A number of charities support rough sleepers in Westminster including Streetlink, The Passage which runs a 40-bed hostel in Victoria, and St Mungo’s.

Hannah Hunter, manager of St Mungo’s Westminster Outreach Service , said: “People end up sleeping rough for a complicated mix of mental and physical health issues, relationship breakdown and sometimes because of bereavement.

“Members of the public who are concerned about someone sleeping rough in Westminster can help support people off the streets by contacting Streetlink on www.streetlink.org .”