Monday night sees the last users of the temporary 10-bed shelter

But the charity and housing association which campaigned for the project is working to set up a permanent shelter in the town from this autumn.

They say the 10-bed temporary shelter, which has its last intake on Monday, has proved a homelessness need.

Andy Roberts, one of the organisers, said: "We've encouraged users to use it right up to the last minute."

He estimates up to 30 people sleep rough in Wrexham town centre every night.

Mr Roberts, Clwyd Alyn Housing Association's supported living manager for Wrexham and Flintshire, said the people who used the shelter were aware it was closing.

He said: "It means that every night there are going to be people sleeping in and around the town centre, in shop doorways, behind skips and in the local church grounds.

It is thought 20-30 people sleep rough in Wrexham nightly

"It leaves those people vulnerable to violence and vulnerable to an awful lot of health issues."

The housing association and the charity Together Creating Communities say the temporary shelter was running at a 90% occupancy rate and often had to turn people away.

The groups applied to the Welsh Assembly Government for �105,000 to provide a permanent new facility.

The assembly government pledged the homelessness project �40,000 capital funding every year for the next three years.

Campaigners held a meeting with Wrexham Council last week to discuss ways of meeting the �65,000 shortfall.

Dormitories

Mr Roberts, Clwyd Alyn Housing Association's supported living manager for Wrexham and Flintshire, said the agencies represented at the meeting had given a commitment to seeing a new shelter.

He said the project would need to ensure the housing benefit claim users made each time they spent a night at the shelter could be put towards the facilities' costs.

He said: "If we can structure the [users'] housing benefit claims to reflect the costs, that, coupled with the 40k from the Welsh Assembly Government, could possibly be just enough."

He said the proposed new unit would not open before November, but its dormitories would cater for 10 people, and would include one room for a disabled user.

It would also have a living room, TV lounge, kitchen and bath-and-shower room.

Wrexham Council said talks aimed at establishing a new homelessness shelter were continuing.

Candidates

John Marek, an Independent assembly candidate, said: "I am pleased that the council regards it is an important issue and will do its best to see a night shelter next winter in Wrexham."

The Welsh Conservatives assembly candidate, Felicity Elphick, said: "Projects such as this play an important part in helping some of society's most vulnerable people."

Bruce Roberts, assembly candidate for the Liberal Democrat, said: "The temporary night shelter, which is situated directly behind my house, has been a great success and has clearly demonstrated the need for a more permanent solution."

Lesley Griffiths, Labour assembly candidate, said: "Wrexham County Borough Council owns a property which has lain empty for over three years that could be used as a permanent homeless shelter. I do hope they will now get on with providing this facility."

Plaid Cymru assembly candidate, Sion-Aled Owen, said: "Plaid Cymru recognises that homelessness is still a major issue in Wales, with an unacceptable number of families having to live in inadequate short-term accommodation like B&Bs."