A Cumbrian MP said he will continue to fight against the rise in holiday lets after figures showing the rise of homelessness in the county were released.

Markus Campbell-Savours, Labour MP for Penrith and Solway, said the data, which showed 502 households in the Cumberland Council area had an initial homelessness assessment from April to June (485 of which required support) - up from 381 in the same period in 2023 showed the 'stark reality facing Cumbrian residents with limited housing options."

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The figures, released by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government come a few weeks after the central government announced an additional £233million would be spent in 2025-26 to tackle homelessness, taking total spending to £1billion.

The number of households in England assessed for homelessness support rose by 10 per cent over the last year, reaching nearly 91,000 in the three months to June.

Of those, 83,240 were assessed as requiring 'a duty to prevent or relieve homelessness', meaning housing authorities must help prevent them from becoming homeless or support them in securing accommodation if they are already homeless.

READ MORE: Homelessness rises as more Cumbrian households seek support

Mr Campbell-Savours, who represents a constituency within which is a portion of the Lake District - a hub for holiday homes, said Labour is developing plans for the 'largest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation' and 'ending no-fault evictions'.

He added: "(It's) why I will continue to seek action on the proliferation of holiday lets which has hollowed out so many towns and villages.

"We face specific challenges in rural areas which I will ensure are not overlooked by the government.“