A Bradford charity which gives the young homeless a bed for the night in people's houses has scooped a top national award.

Bradford Nightstop offers people aged between 16 and 25 an overnight stay, a meal and a shower.

The scheme clinched one of the top five prizes in the Guardian Charity Awards which are for charities with an income of less than £1million in the social welfare sector.

The charity received £5,000 from award sponsors Sainsbury's and will also have a web site designed by Smartchange.com.

Bradford Nightstop support and development worker Clare Dalton said they were delighted.

"There were about 400 entrants and we were one of the five winners," she said.

The charity is dedicating the award to the people of Bradford who have supported them for almost ten years.

Ms Dalton said: "Our project relies on volunteers. Without them there would be no Bradford Nightstop."

She said the £5,000 prize money would be spent on a variety of projects including promotional materials, educating young people about homelessness and trying to recruit more volunteers from ethnic minorities.

The organisation began in 1993 and helps young people in need of emergency accommodation.

Ms Dalton said clients were referred to Bradford Nightstop by agencies such as the Police or the Samaritans, who call the charity's referral line.

If they are suitable, they are allocated to a volunteer's house where they can have an evening meal, a bedroom to themself and in the morning they get breakfast as well as bus fare to wherever they need to go.

Ms Dalton said volunteers prepared to open their homes as well as people to run telephone referral service, were always needed.

She said they came from all walks of life and were fully trained before beginning

Anyone would like to help should phone (01274) 776888.