Three-quarters of older homeless people have no next of kin

It says one in four homeless people in the UK are over 50 and half of this group suffer from physical ailments.

St Mungo's Director of Operations Mike McCall said: "More specialist services are needed to work with this vulnerable group of people."

The charity has launched a campaign called "50: 50" which aims to help older homeless people in London.

To find out the extents of the problems, it first surveyed 1,534 homeless men and women in London.

The key problems experienced by older homeless people revolve around "physical and mental illness, as well as losing touch with relatives", according to Mr McCall.

Health problems

The figures revealed that 50% of older homeless people have mental health and physical health problems.

Mr McCall said: "This group is particularly vulnerable because they have a poor diet and are exposed to bad weather conditions.

"They also have weakened immune systems and, in many cases, poor circulation."

The most common complaint is stomach irritation brought on by diets lacking nutritional value which tends to consist of food taken from bins.

And alcohol abuse, which is a problem with 56% of those surveyed, often causes health problems, such as cirrhosis of the liver.

Many people suffer from depression, lose touch with people close to them and lose the desire to seek help Mike McCall, St Mungo's Director of Operations

The survey painted a picture of older people who have lost touch with family and friends over the years.

Out of 317 homeless people aged 50 and over, three-quarters had no next of kin details.

And although a third of those questioned were parents, half had no contact with their children.

Mr McCall said: "Many people suffer from depression, lose touch with people close to them and lose the desire to seek help.

"They decide nothing can be done about their situation."

He added: "More specialist care and hostels, which are specifically tailored to the needs of this group, are needed.

"Local authorities need to make sure that services are well funded and delivered effectively."

The charity, which operates within Greater London, runs the only specialised older homeless peoples' shelter in the UK.

Specialist care

It also runs a number of initiatives devoted to this group in its centres.

Richard Best, director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a social policy research charity, said there was a need to provide better transitional housing for people leaving the armed forces or prison as a large proportion of homeless people come from these backgrounds.

Lord Best said: "It is important to catch people when they are at risk, rather than trying to rehabilitate them when they have already lived on the streets."

He added: "There needs to be more accommodation for people who are ready to move out of sheltered accommodation into a bedsit or small flat."

The survey was carried out in London, with participants comprising of people sleeping rough and those staying in emergency shelter accommodation.

But St. Mungo's stressed that those questioned had come to the city from across the UK.