CAROL singers, bucket collectors and festive photographers raised a record amount for a homeless charity at the weekend.

Brighton Housing Trust (BHT) held its annual street collection across the weekend and collected £5,207 – smashing last year’s total of £4,511.

The three days of events started on Friday evening with collections at Brighton train station.

Volunteers with buckets were also out the following day as well as carol singers.

Andy Winter, BHT chief executive, said: “We are extremely grateful to the people of Brighton and Hove for their incredible generosity this year.

“This record amount is indicative of the concern that people feel about seeing people sleeping on our streets.

“This money, together with the funds raised through other activities this month, will help our day centre, First Base, to support rough sleepers at Christmas and throughout the year.”

More than 100 volunteers were out on Saturday.

Church groups, community organisations, councillors, volunteers, BHT members of staff, board members and even the Brighton Table Tennis Club were out collecting cash for the charity.

Mr Winter said: “I am so grateful to them all and, in particular, everyone who donated towards achieving this incredible result.

“It will definitely make a big difference.

“It is not too late to donate.”

Figures released last month laid bare the homelessness crisis in Brighton and Hove.

One of the busiest food banks in the city has seen a 62 per cent increase in the number of people referred to it for emergency food supplies.

The national charity Shelter put the city second in the country for having the highest number of homeless people outside London.

It says 4, 218 people are recorded as rough sleeping or living in temporary accommodation – that is one in 69 people.

Whitehawk Foodbank had an increase in users of 62 per cent between April and September 2017.

That is an additional 246 three-day emergency food supplies provided to local people in crisis –compared with the same period in the previous year.

In total, 644 people were in such desperation they needed emergency food supplies from the food bank run by charity The Trussell Trust.

The figure has been put down to continued issues with benefits payments, with nearly 60 per cent of the reasons given for referral relating to benefit changes or delays in receiving money.

l Donations can be made to BHT by visiting bht.org.uk or by sending a cheque payable to ‘Brighton Housing Trust’ to 144 London Road, Brighton, BN1 4PH.