A GROUP of students have been braving the elements to spend their breaks and lunch times living in cardboard boxes all this week.

The year nine students, pupils at Teesside high school in Eaglescliffe, set up their own cardboard city at the front of the school to highlight the plight of the homeless and to raise money for Shelter, the charity for homeless people.

Despite storms earlier in the week, some 80 girls took sponsored stints in the boxes. The shelter was blown away by gale force winds on Tuesday night, but was quickly rebuilt and back in place by Wednesday morning.

Senior teacher, Mrs Anne Vickers, said: "The girls have been studying the problems of homelessness in their pastoral lessons and they wanted to raise awareness among the whole school.

"They are trying to make a point, quite starkly, between the way most of us live and the way some people have to live."

Mrs Vickers said the school expected to raise about £200 for Shelter thanks to the girls' efforts.

One of the girls taking part, 13-year-old Sian Miller said: "I think it must be terrible for homeless people, especially at Christmas. I would like the money we have raised to go towards renting out a local building for the homeless over Christmas."

Jennifer Sanderson, also aged 13, spent her breaks in the cardboard city. She said: "It has made me realise how hard it would be to live on the streets; it's really cold and wet. When it rained on Wednesday we got quite wet."