Homeless death rates in Midlothian were the highest in Scotland last year with one in 22 recorded in the county.
A report by the National Register of Scotland revealed ten homeless people who were identified as Midlothian residents died, taking the rate to 164 per million population.
It put the county above every other local authority in the country with Glasgow City Council second with a rate of 118.7.
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Midlothian Council said the increase in deaths was of 'obvious concern' but pointed out that a change in the methodology of the way the statistics were gathered had impacted on their annual figures.
Across Scotland last year there were an identified 222 homeless deaths, and an estimated 250, up slightly from the 215 that were confirmed the year previous.
Shelter Scotland said the figures across the country were "a clear indication of a broken housing system".
In Midlothian ten people were identified as dying while homeless last year compared to one death in 2020 and three people dying homeless in 2019.
A spokesperson for Midlothian Council said: "Our homelessness team and health and social care partners continue to work together, taking a person centred approach to accommodate those in need while addressing other problems.
"Our analysis of local cases indicates a range of factors that impact on people as in society generally, ie. old age, chronic health conditions as well as physical and mental health conditions.
“During 2021/22 Midlothian Council continued to make significant progress in transforming services provided to those households experiencing homelessness or threatened with becoming homeless, building on the foundations established in previous years.
"There was a significant reduction in the number of households residing in temporary accommodation for over two years - from 189 on 31 March 2019 to 51 on 31 March 2022.”
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