Rough sleeping is increasing on Glasgow’s streets with an admission the full extent is unknown.

A response to a freedom of information request showed almost 150 people in three months had reported to the council they had endured rough sleeping before registering as homeless.

Between June 1 and September 1, there were 149 people who reported on their assessment they had either slept rough the night before or had slept rough in the three months before they sought assistance from the council.

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The council also revealed the Simon Community had reported there were 62 people sleeping rough during the same three months.

However, it acknowledged that the real figure could be higher.

The response stated: “The statistics which have been provided are not an accurate reflection of the number of rough sleepers in Glasgow.

“The total number of rough sleepers provided to the council during a Housing Options Assessment is dependent on self-declaration by the individuals seeking assistance.

“In addition, due to the often hidden nature of rough sleeping and complexities surrounding individuals who are rough sleeping, Simon Community Scotland only report information to the council on the individuals that they engage with.”

The information was released to Scottish Tenant’s Organisation campaign coordinator, Sean Clerkin, who questioned spending priorities.

Mr Clerkin said: “There is a clear failure to provide suitable emergency accommodation for homeless people in Glasgow.

However, the Scottish Government can spend £36 million on the World Cycling Championships in Glasgow and Glasgow City Council can spend £16 million on the same event but we cannot help our homeless with even a fraction of this amount speaks volumes about how the authorities have abandoned the increasing number of vulnerable citizens who are sleeping on our streets and with the winter ahead more people homeless people will die unless more resources are spent on them.”

A spokeswoman for Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Partnership said: “We work with the Simon Community, who are commissioned to provide outreach support, to continuously keep track on rough sleeping trends in the city.

“While it’s too early to say there is a consistent rise in the number of rough sleepers, we are aware of an increase in cases. This includes people with no recourse to public funds, those with existing tenancies and those who do not wish to engage with services.

“Where we are aware of a person rough sleeping we continue to engage with them on a daily basis, ensuring emergency accommodation provision is available wherever possible.  Given the current pressures we acknowledge the level of risk which could impact upon rough sleeping figures in the city and we continue to review this with our key partners.”