THE council has missed - or is likely to miss - two targets that were set as part of a drive to improve local homeless services.

Worcester City Council, which oversees homeless services in the county, outlined the aims in a report compiled after a rough sleeper, called Cardon Banfield, died in the city.

Homelessness campaigner Hugo Sugg said that two rough sleepers, who were found dead in Malvern - in October and December - could potentially have been saved had the council learnt crucial lessons from Mr Banfield’s death.

He added: “There hasn’t been a substantial change of service since Cardon died.

“We have had three rough sleeper deaths in two-and-a-half years.”

Mr Sugg said that all three of the rough sleepers were discovered by members of the public - not outreach workers.

He added: “That says you don’t have a satisfactory outreach service.”

The campaigner said homelessness workers should be patrolling the streets on a daily basis, during the winter.

On Tuesday, Worcester City Council revealed that it had failed to hit its deadline for developing guidance on how to transition between homeless service providers.

It also said it was unlikely to meet its target date for completing an audit of rough sleepers’ files - to check on the quality of record keeping.

However, the council has completed - or is on track to complete - the eight other targets it formed as a result of its review into Mr Banfield’s death, in 2016.

The objectives were included in a report, which was published in May last year.

A spokesman for Worcester City Council said an extended outreach service is now in place, after Maggs Day Centre won £280,000 in lottery funding in May. The Maggs Outreach and Transition Service carries out daily morning walks from Monday to Friday, checking on rough sleepers in the county.

The city council secured up to £19,743 in homelessness funding from the Government in December. This money has gone towards employing two ‘rapid response officers’ to provide out of hours support to rough sleepers during winter.