Businesses and charities have started begging so people living rough do not have to.

They are planning a drive to encourage shoppers to give their spare change to an alternative begging scheme instead of giving it to homeless people in the street.

The aim is to make sure the money is not spent on drink or drugs but directly on projects which help those living rough.

It follows research done last year which showed people were inadvertently putting money into the pockets of drug dealers when giving money to some beggars.

Organisers of the Begging For a Change initiative are hoping shoppers in Brighton and Hove will pop spare change into special boxes during the run up to Christmas.

The boxes are located in places where people are already likely to have change ready, such as near pay-and-display machines in car parks.

The scheme aims to support the solution, not the habit, of homelessness and help people into a new life.

The money raised will be split between charities in Brighton and Hove.

Stephen Sharpe, chief executive of St Patrick's Trust homeless project in Brighton and Hove, said the scheme went a long way to providing resources for the homeless.

Last year, similar boxes raised thousands of pounds for Aspire Brighton, which provides full-time employment for homeless people; Equinox, a day centre for street drinkers; and the Brighton Housing Trust detox support project.