Restaurateurs who raised money for the homeless were invited to Downing Street for a charity party.

Representatives of the 25 restaurants in Brighton and Hove which took part in the StreetSmart fund-raising campaign joined others from around the UK to meet Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown at Number 11.

The campaign raised an estimated £10,000 for homeless charities in the city.

Nationwide, it raised more than £300,000.

Twenty restaurants which took part in the scheme invited customers to donate £1 to StreetSmart on top of their bill.

Two of the restaurants had a collection box and three gave donations.

The charities will include those which supply emergency food and sleeping bags to the homeless and those which help with rehabilitation, training and finding work for people.

Charities which benefited in 2001 were St Patrick's Trust, Clock Tower Sanctuary, Stopover, Homeless and Lonely, Crossover and Brighton Emmaus Trust.

Five restaurateurs, Sheila Ridge from The Strand, Charita Jones from Momma Cherri's, Mike Dodd from Oki-Nami, David Smale from Coriander and Michelle McDonald from Krakatoa, were invited to represent city restaurants at the Chancellor's bash, which was thrown to mark the success of the 2002 campaign.

During the evening Mr Brown, who supports StreetSmart, gave a speech praising the efforts of the restaurants which took part.

He said: "StreetSmart is a great idea: Simple and innovative, with all the money donated by diners going direct to local charities.

"My wife and I are delighted to be associated with StreetSmart and to be able to congratulate everyone for giving the rest of us a chance to support the charity's valuable work in tackling homelessness."

Alison Ali, Brighton and Hove regional organiser, said the 2002 campaign went well.

She said: "Restaurants that ran it last year found customers have remembered it.

"The reaction is positive. People feel pleased they are able to do something to contribute. It feels more constructive than giving money out on the street."