A charity campaign by a weekly newspaper to provide shelter for homeless people has raised £18,000 in just a month.

The Kentish Gazette launched the Give Them Shelter fundraising drive in November calling on readers to donate money towards night shelters run by local charity Catching Lives.

It raised £18,000 within a month, allowing the charity to commit itself to operating shelters in church and community halls during the winter months.

And the paper’s charity of the year was also well-supported by readers, with nearly £5,000 being given to the Kent Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre in Canterbury.

Editor Leo Whitlock said: “It never ceases to amaze me how readily our readers put their hands in their pockets when it really matters.

“When you think how tough it is out there, their generosity knows no bounds.

“In the freezing cold weather, the contribution of our readers made a massive difference to people’s lives.”

Jon Limebury, project co-ordinator for the night shelters, added: “We owe a debt of gratitude to the Kentish Gazette and its readers because we couldn’t have done it without them.

“Far more money has rolled in than we expected, including several large donations, which means that if the project continues to go well, we can keep the winter shelters running through February.”