A former convent in the town has been converted into individual flats with separate bathrooms and a communal kitchen.

Bramah House in St Pauls provides living skills and vocational training to help the youngsters find jobs and permanent homes.

Cheltenham Community Projects (CCP), the organisation behind the scheme, also runs a 24-hour crisis service for teenagers in need, and a furniture recycling scheme.

13 rooms

Bryn Williams, centre manager, told BBC News Online: "This is the missing link in our services as it provides a high level of support with multiple staff.

"Where it is different is that it is a holistic way of looking at individuals. It is not a one-size-fits-all approach."

One teenager at Bramah House told the BBC: "I have family problems as my parents got divorced.

"There was a major breakdown in communication and I ended up with nowhere to live. Now I take it day by day."

There are 13 rooms in Bramah House, which takes in homeless people between the ages of 16 and 25.