HOMELESS families in Lancashire will have to spend the festive season moving between sheltered accommodation, it was revealed today.

Shelter Lancashire said that there are currently 122 families in the region living in temporary accommodation -- with a third suffering cramped and unsuitable conditions in bed and breakfast hotels.

The homeless charity said that as the festive season approaches homeless families with children will be forced to spend it in grotty, miserable temporary housing without a hot meal. Senior careworker Helen Worsley said: "For some people Christmas isn't about having fun with their family and opening their presents -- it's spent in depressingly inadequate accommodation or trudging from place to place with their possessions in bags, trying to find somewhere to stay."

Neil Otley, a Housing Needs Officer at Blackburn with Darwen Council said: "Anyone presented to us we would provide with accommodation and certainly assist with getting them somewhere decent to stay. We wouldn't turn anyone away."

"I know many shelters will be holding Christmas parties and putting up decorations to make it as happy a time as possible really."

Paula Kaniuk, a Manager at Nightsafe, in Blackburn said: "We have decorations up in all our shelters. One of the good things is we get a lot of help from people in the community who donate Christmas things and decorations.

"We will be having a big party on Boxing day at the Fusebox shelter in Blackburn."

Anyone needing advice can phone Shelter Lancashire on 01253 874324. This Christmas, Shelter's Lancashire Housing Aid Centre will continue to provide free advice and support to homeless and badly housed people through its Lancashire outreach centres.