A SURVEY of bed and breakfast accommodation is being carried out to help assess a North-East town's homelessness problem.

The Homeless Quality Network is working with Darlington Borough Council and charity groups to form a strategy for tackling the issue.

Andrew Larkin, of the network, told a council meeting: "There is a whole spectrum of people in B&Bs that we don't know about."

He said there was a need for better temporary council accommodation for families currently put in B&Bs and more links with private landlords.

"We need to develop better temporary accommodation pending the outcome of investigations into their circumstances," he said.

A final draft of the strategy is expected to be ready by the middle of May.