Housing and community workers from Keighley slept outdoors in Bradford to raise awareness of the plight of homeless young people.

They were among 50 workers and business people from the district taking part in the first national Sleep Out last week.

The city centre sleep-out was organised by the Keyhouse housing advice service which has offices in Keighley and Bradford.

Among those taking part were Graham Mynott, the charity’s head, and its community integration worker Kim Tomassi.

They were joined by young people who currently live at Keyhouse’s hostel in Keighley, and Keighley man Luke Dennison who is a community development worker at the Thornbury Centre.

Sleep Out was run by several local and national organisations at eight cities across the UK, and aimed to raise £500,000 for housing charities.

Mr Mynott said Sleep Out was unique.

He added: “Not only does it raise an amazing amount of money, it raises the issue of youth homelessness and gives a glimpse of what it’s like to sleep out on the cold streets of Bradford. Young people are doing this every night without the protection of security, a canopy keeping the rain off and hundreds of friends supporting them.”