I used to feel very impatient when people walked past without buying a magazine

Phil, Big Issue seller

The course looks at how to deal with potential customers and money management.

It is also being run in Liverpool and Manchester and has been made compulsory for all Big Issue sellers in the North-West and Yorkshire.

Big Issue's Leeds vendor development officer, Mary Spencer, said the course was very popular with vendors.

'Life skills'

"It helps them to build up life skills and confience and that helps them to sell more magazines," she added.

Local vendor, Phil, said: "I found the training useful. I used to feel very impatient when people walked past without buying a magazine.

"Now I understand that if they can't buy one today, they might get one tomorrow.

"It's definitely helped my sales go up."

The training aims to help homeless people work their way off the streets.

The Big Issue sets vendors a time limit of two years in which to stop selling the magazine.