A homeless charity is inviting people to sleep out in Brighton for an evening to raise awareness of the city’s rough sleeping problem.

Off The Fence is holding its annual Big Sleep Out campaign where fundraisers will spend a  night outside St Peter’s Church in the city centre for charity.

The event raised nearly £30,000 last year and aims to raise awareness of the daily issues that homeless people face.

The Argus: Homeless people sleeping on the streetsHomeless people sleeping on the streets (Image: free)

A spokesman for Off The Fence said: “Rough sleeping has risen by more than 20 per cent in the UK’s most affected locations, including Brighton and Hove, in the last year.

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“That means help for homeless people is needed more than ever right now. The cost-of-living crisis is pushing more and more people into homelessness, with rising prices forcing people who have never slept rough before on to the streets for the first time.

The Argus: St Peter's ChurchSt Peter's Church

The charity said that in the past year 43 people have died unattended in Brighton with the average age of death or rough sleepers in the mid-40s for men and women.

Last year’s event raised £28,000 for the charity as was attended by Hove MP Peter Kyle among a host of other local supporters of the scheme.

Off The Fence’s Big Sleep Out will take place on Friday, November 10.