A homeless Oxford man asked a Labour MP to make sandwiches when she visited his hostel.

Yvette Cooper, Minister for Housing and Planning, was at Simon House in Paradise Street, Oxford, on Wednesday to open the refurbished hostel.

During a tour of the building Ms Cooper visited the new training kitchen and met residents.

She was asked to whip up egg and cress sandwiches for the lunch reception, and as she started mixing eggs she spoke to some of the residents.

One of them was qualified chef James Shell, 23, who has been at the house for two months.

Eight months ago Mr Shell lost his job and the accommodation which came with it. He had no friends or family to rely on, so slept rough in Banbury.

"I felt very vulnerable and helpless and did not know where to turn. Everyone gave me weird looks," Mr Shell said.

Mr Shell is now enjoying one of the refurbished ensuite bedrooms.

He said: "I feel a lot more confident and have opened up since being here. I have a roof over my head and I have the opportunity to use my cooking skills to the full potential. I feel like I am getting back on track."

The new kitchen is part of the £2.4m refurbishment which was completed last October. It aims to teach every resident basic cookery skills and how to budget and shop for food.

The hostel was refurbished with £1.3m from the Department for Communities and Local Government and £1.1m from Dominion Housing Group.

It now has 41 ensuite bedrooms and a self-contained flat where residents live in their final stage before leaving.

There is also a new workshop for homeless people throughout Oxford to learn how to fix basic problems around the house.