A weekly newspaper has launched a bid to help its patch’s homeless find housing and employment.

The Newbury Weekly News is calling for people in the Berkshire town to unite and tackle the issue of homelessness, which it has covered with a series of stories in recent weeks.

A fortnight ago the News ran a story about Newbury businessman Adrian Smith, who paid for one of his part-time employees to stay in a hotel after discovering was sleeping rough in a tent.

Mr Smith said he was “outraged” and took the man on full-time, appealing through the News for other West Berkshire businesspeople to help the homeless into work.

The story attracted a “massive response” from readers and Newbury MP Richard Benyon, who has been working to combat homelessness locally for some time, agreed to meet Mr Smith to discuss what further actions can be taken.

Reporter Chris Ord then spent several days last week trying to make contact with homeless people and persuade them to tell their stories.

Those interviewed ranged from a former soldier in his 50s, who has been on the streets for 17 years, to a 25-year-old who has just been made homeless for the first time and told Chris: “I just feel there is no support.”

Editor Andy Murrill told HTFP: “Their plight is painful to witness – particularly in this freezing weather – and we decided to splash on homelessness this week with a powerful front page and a call to the town to unite to tackle the problem.

“We are supporting one long-term homelessness campaigner’s attempts to build a new centre for the homeless in Newbury that will focus on re-integrating people back into society.

“Local newspapers can report from the sidelines and wring their hands, or roll up their sleeves and help the most vulnerable people in our society.

“We are going to use the power of the Newbury Weekly News to make a practical difference on the ground to help find accommodation for people sleeping rough in freezing temperatures, and we want to help them find employment too.”