BLACKBURN became a cardboard city for the day when local charity Nighsafe held a street collection to raise money for the homeless.

The charity decided to swap its annual fund-raising sleep-out for an exhibition of portrait work done by users of Nightsafe, street drumming by volunteers and a charity pub crawl yesterday.

Linda Sharratt, re-settlement manager for Nightsafe said: "We wanted to raise awareness of homelessness in the borough as well as raise money for Nightsafe.

"Hopefully we should have raised over £1,000."

Nightsafe operates through its Darwen-based Woodvale project, in partnership with Twin Valley Homes, and also has a day centre, the Fusebox, in Pilkington Street, Blackburn. For more information ring 01254 587687.