A bid to raise £30,000 to help take homeless people off the streets at Christmas has been launched by a regional daily.

The Nottingham Post has teamed up with charity Framework for the appeal, which began on Monday.

Last month the Nottinghamshire charity had to cancel its annual sponsored sleep-out, due to fears that the fundraiser would be sabotaged by self-styled activists.

Framework claimed two groups, Fightback Nottingham and OpGroundzer0, had threatened to occupy the site of the sleep-out, which has been held for more than 15 years and usually raises around £30,000 for the charity.

Editor Mike Sassi said: “For the last few months, it’s been obvious that there are more people sleeping rough in and around Nottingham than there have been for several years. Newsroom staff, particularly those on early shifts, have constantly been commenting on it.

“So deputy editor Claire Catlow and deputy social media editor Dan Russell contacted local charity Framework, which does excellent work with homeless people.

“Now we’ve teamed up with Framework to launch an eight-week Christmas campaign to get rough sleepers off the streets.”

As part of the campaign’s launch, Post reporter Laura Hammond spoke to rough sleepers in the city and those trying to help get them off the streets.

Mike added: “Homelessness is becoming a very real issue for too many people. Twenty years ago it looked as though the problem of homelessness in our city and county may be under control. Obviously that’s not now the case. So it’s important that we all do everything we can to help.

“Framework is an impressive local charity that holds a special place in the hearts of local people.

“We believe that Post readers will want to dig deep this Christmas to help Framework to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves.”