The Mayor of London has given money to an online platform to help reunite homeless people with their families.

A total of £62,000 has been given from Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s ‘rough sleeping innovation fund’ to the new ‘Missing People Matching Tool’ – run by charity Missing People – to help outreach works find out if people sleeping rough have been reported missing.

If a homeless person is found to have been reported missing the charity can offer to let their family and friends know they are safe and offer them a reunion.

Mr Khan said: “The increase in rough sleeping in recent years across the country is a national disgrace and tragically it is often the most vulnerable in society who find themselves homeless.

“It is crucial we do all we can to help people off the streets of London, and I am pleased to be supporting Missing People’s work to help reunite homeless people with their friends and family who love them.”

According to Mr Khan’s database of homeless people in the capital over 7,000 thousand people were reported sleeping rough across the capital and there are more than 1,600 missing adults on Missing People’s database.

Susannah Drury, the director of policy and research for Missing People said the charity is “delighted” Mr Khan is funding the project.

She added: “This is just the first stage of this project – we hope that in time, more support organisations will link into the tool to enhance its reach and impact even further.”