Tonight is the night York solicitors sleep rough in aid of the Kosovar refugees.

Bedding down on the Castle Museum steps in York are, from left, Craig Robertson, Jackie Knights, John Howard and John Withyman

Picture: David Harrison

The group of about 15 solicitors from Cox Howard & Co, Clifford Street, and Harrowell Shaftoe, St Saviourgate, will bed down on the steps of the Castle Museum for the night in an attempt to get big donations from members of their profession and others.

Jackie Knights, of Harrowell Shaftoe, said: "Donations have been flooding in thick and fast from all sorts of people including district judges.

"The people of York are responding in a very positive way indeed.

"We are all looking forward to tonight.

"We just didn't feel there was enough we could do for these people but this will at least make a bit of difference and any difference you can make is obviously for the good."

Mrs Knights said she had not had time to count up all the donations but they were already running into thousands of pounds and she was hoping for more.

The solicitors staged a similar event a few years ago to raise money for the homeless and there will again be a police presence to keep an eye on them tonight.

Anyone wishing to contribute to the appeal can drop donations off at either of the solicitors' offices or post cheques to them made payable to Oxfam (Kosovo).

Letters should be addressed to either John Howard at Cox Howard & Co, Tribune House, Clifford Street, York, or Jackie Knights at Harrowell Shaftoe, 1 St Saviourgate, York, YO1 8ZQ.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.