BOROUGH mayor Rose Wellman has praised the work being done to help people get back on their feet in Basingstoke after making a special visit to the town's homeless hostel.

During her visit to May Place House, Cllr Wellman met members of staff and volunteer helpers before being given a tour of the 20-room hostel by former surgeon Frank Tovey, a trustee of May Place House.

The visit ended with the mayor enjoying vegetable soup and a hot dog for lunch with some of the hostel's residents.

Cllr Wellman - who was accompanied by her husband Tom - said: "I was so impressed with the excellent work that is being done for the homeless at May Place House.

"What really came across was the caring attitude from all the staff towards the residents - it made me feel so pleased that we have been able to provide this much-needed facility in the borough."

Mr Tovey said: "We were delighted to have the opportunity to show the mayor the facilities here and are pleased to have her support for our Christmas campaign - A Place for Us."

Mr Tovey acknowledged the support May Place House has received from the community at large.

The hostel is run by the Basingstoke Churches Trust and has more than 100 volunteers from all walks of life, who provide vital support.

Mr Tovey said: "There are 101 reasons why people become homeless, ranging from drug and alcohol problems to family breakdowns."

He said the staff and volunteers at May Place House work hard to help people put their lives back back together.