WEST Dunbartonshire Council has denied illegally turning homeless people away in their time of need.

Figures released by the BBC, revealed dozens of local authorities had been turning homeless people away, despite a statutory obligation to provide temporary accommodation.

According to the report, obtained by a Freedom of Information request, 81 per cent of people presenting themselves as homeless in West Dunbartonshire did not go on to make a homeless application.

However, the council explained the figure revealed the number of people who had received help from the council’s services in order to avoid homelessness.

A council spokesman said: “This means that the vast majority of those people were prevented from becoming homeless as a result of the council’s intervention.”