About 130 people spend their nights on Westminster's streets

And many of those taking handouts actually have homes or are former rough sleepers saving money, a controversial report insists.

Westminster Council fears soup-run providers are sustaining homelessness and not doing enough to engage people with services that could help them.

The report's findings will be the subject of the council's "soup summit".

In his report, Matthew Davenport, who has worked with London's homeless for six years, examined the problem from a Christian perspective.

'Homeless bandwagon'

He found soup runs were contributing to tensions and difficulties in the rough sleeping communities because they are not targeted at those most in need.

The report said: "Rough sleepers, mainstream homeless agencies and Westminster City Council feel that some groups, by jumping on the 'help the homeless' bandwagon, are abusing the good work that targeted help actually achieves."

People come out of hostels and flats because it's free and it saves cooking Bill, a rough sleeper

In support, a Westminster Council study from last December found one rough sleeper in the Strand area called Bill estimated about 70% of those taking handouts were not homeless.

Bill admitted when he was living in Peckham, south-east London, he was among those taking food.

He said: "People come out of hostels and flats because it's free and it saves cooking. It's not good - rough sleepers should be prioritised."

'Domestic pets'

Council figures suggest there are an estimated 65 soup runs in Westminster while only about 130 people are sleeping rough.

John Bird, founder of the Big Issue newspaper, lent his support saying the reliance on handouts was reducing rough sleepers to the state of a domestic pet.

"They should put their efforts into working with homeless organisations to get people off the streets," he said.

But Reverend Nimms Obunge, based in Haringey, said Christian groups' contact with the homeless could help turn their lives around.

"You hope they might turn their hearts to the Lord."

Mr Davenport's report will be discussed with representatives from the homelessness sector and soup-run providers at the 'soup summit' at Tate Britain in Millbank on Monday.

Angela Harvey, a Westminster cabinet member for housing who will chair the summit, said: "We very much want to share with people that soup runs may have been the solution 20 years ago but they're not part of the solution now."

Expensive sleeping bags

It is not the first time soup kitchens have been criticised for their efforts to help the homeless.

In 1999, the then homelessness czar Louise Casey sparked outrage by accusing many charities of "perpetuating homelessness" by giving free handouts to people on the streets.

She condemned the culture of soup runs, saying it encouraged rough sleeping.

And she reckoned the homeless were often given more expensive sleeping bags than those available in the shops.