LANCASTER city council has given a last minute reprieve to the city's threatened services for the homeless.

Green, Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative councillors all backed a motion to restore funding to four charities. However, MBI councillors say the decision to restore funding to the groups goes against advice from the district auditor, Tim Watkinson and could but the council in a difficult position legally. Margaret Douglas, manager of Homeless Action, thanked members of the public who have helped the campaign, but says this week's victory is only a first step.

She said: "We need to have a positive dialogue with the council. We need to point out that homeless action is not the bad guy they are making us out to be. If councillors had a problem with what we were doing, they should have come to us seven or eight months ago when we made our presentation to them and not waited until now. We now have letters from all three prisons confirming that they do not have any material advertising homeless action. Some MBI councillors say they have spoken to prisoners who have been advised by probation and social services to go to Morecambe on release, but that is down to probation and social services, not us."