The use of bed and breakfast accommodation has drawn criticism

The number of homeless families living in B&Bs for longer than six weeks has fallen 99.3% in the past two years.

And in London, no homeless families now have to live in B&Bs for longer than six weeks, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister said.

In 2002, nearly 4,000 UK families lived long-term in B&B accommodation.

Damaging

The government said it had reversed the culture among local authorities of relying on B&Bs to meet the needs of homeless families.

It is important now to move the agenda forward so that other people, not covered by this target but still living in B&Bs, are not left behind, Adam Samson, Shelter

The widespread use of B&B accommodation has been criticised as expensive and damaging to the health and educational development of children.

In 2002 the government set local authorities a target to end the use of B&Bs to house families and made �45m available to be spent.

"If trends in temporary accommodation use had continued without the target, there would now be between 8,500 and 9,700 families in B&Bs long-term," said Jeff Rooker, the minister for homelessness.

Adam Samson, spokesman for homelessness charity Shelter, welcomed the government announcement but called for more to be done for other groups in B&B accommodation.