More than a dozen homeless people have died on Chesterfield's streets since 2013

Office for National Statistics figures show an estimated 16 homeless deaths in Chesterfield came between 2013 and 2019.

The figures are based on registered deaths plus an estimate of how many people died without being correctly identified as homeless.

They mainly include people sleeping rough or using emergency accommodation.

There was one death in the area last year, according to the figures – the same number recorded in 2018.

An estimated 778 homeless people died in 2019 across England and Wales – that was seven per cent up from the previous year, and the fifth yearly increase in a row.

Homelessness charities said the increasing number dying across England and Wales shows the danger of rough sleeping, even before Covid-19.

Polly Neate, chief executive of the charity Shelter, said: “No one should die on the streets or in a temporary bed in a hostel.

“The pandemic has made the streets even more dangerous.”

Jon Sparkes, chief executive of homelessness charity Crisis, said: “It is devastating that hundreds of people died without the dignity of a stable home.

“Every one of these human beings will have had different lives, different characters and different stories.

“It is heart-breaking that what unites them is the systematic failure of successive governments.”

Mr Sparkes said it was particularly shocking that suicides among homeless people have increased so sharply, and urged the UK Government to expand the system used to investigate the deaths of vulnerable adults to include those who die while homeless.

He also called for homeless people to be given ‘prompt and equitable’ access to the coronavirus vaccine.

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “Every death of someone sleeping rough on our streets is one too many.

“That’s why we are investing over £700 million to tackle rough sleeping and homelessness this year alone – as part of our mission to end rough sleeping for good.

“And we have announced extra support for rough sleepers and vulnerable people to help them recover from drug and alcohol dependency.”