A HOMELESS charity today made a bid for extra cash to pay for security measures to prevent people stealing from its lodgers.

The Darwen Nightsafe Project, based in the Woodvale area of town, has included the request in its application for yearly funding from the government fund 'Supporting People'.

The charity was financed by £150,000 of lottery cash in its first three years, but the money has all but run out.

Cheryl O'Reilly, the Woodvale project manager, said they hoped the new funding, set to begin this April, would be enough to install a CCTV system.

She said a problem had grown where local youths befriended people living in the shelter, before breaking into their flat and stealing their belongings. The last incident was in December.

Cheryl said: "It's difficult for us to check who is coming in and out of the building. There are a lot of young people here who are victims because their parents were alcoholics, or they were the victims of violence.

"They didn't choose to become homeless and many haven't any family support. At 17 many are on their own.

"Security is something we need so we can keep an eye on the low lifes who take advantage of young people who cannot say no to other young people."

The Woodvale project offers shelter to homeless people aged 17 to 24 in one of 18 flats which are a form of "half-way-house".

The aim is to get the young people living semi-independently. Potential residents are referred to the scheme and have to go through an interview process.

The young people have to furnish their own flat from local charity stores, while three members of staff give educational and emotional support to help them recover. The longest anyone has lived at the Woodvale project is two years.

Cheryl said she hoped the funding would enable them to build on their work of the past three years, and help them work with the Woodvale community more. This would be done by setting up a tenants' association for locals, or by staging more weekly seminars on topics like alcohol awareness.

The Woodvale project is currently looking for volunteers. Anyone interested should call 01254 705120.