The number of women sleeping rough across Lincolnshire and Newark "hugely underestimated"

A charity's warning the number of women rough sleeping across Lincolnshire and Newark is significantly higher than current data suggests.

The Single Homeless Project says most are missed because of the way homeless people are counted - on a single night each autumn.

The official figures showed that during that one night 7 female rough sleepers were identified in the Lincolnshire and Newark area.

But we've found female rough sleepers will often stay in 24 hour cafes or ride night buses to avoid bedding down.

They're more likely to hide away than men are.

We know that women who experience homelessness in all forms are at far higher risk of physical and sexual attack than males are

That means there could be far more than those figures suggest - plus of course they relate to only a single night.

Across Lincolnshire and Newark it's thought Boston has the highest number of female rough sleepers.

We spoke to Lucy Campbell from the project.

She told us: "The data is resulting in a real lack of women's provision which is problematic because women aren't getting their needs met but also it's perpetuating this problem of women not being identified at all because there aren't welcoming spaces for them to come into at times."

"We know that women who experience homelessness in all forms are at far higher risk of physical and sexual attack than males are."

"To respond to that if you are a woman facing a night out in the elements is hide yourself away as much as possible."

First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Hits Radio app.