Intel employees will tonight be facing wind, rain, the reek of urine and stale lager, and probably no small measure of personal abuse when they kip down in a London street for the night.

It's all in the aid of charity, of course, not budgetary cut-backs at the chip giant, though after the European Commission's summer raid on the company's Swindon HQ, where most of those sleeping rough tonight while away the working day, perhaps there is more to it than that.

The brave folks will be wrapping themselves in old Big Mac cartons and torn copies of The Times in Potters Field, SE1, just round the corner from Mayor Ken Livingstone's glitzy office in the GLA building, and near HMS Belfast and Tower Bridge.

The Intel team will be joined by IT executives from companies around the country, all dossing down in the hope of raising substantially more than £200,000 to help NCH, which supports young homeless folk throughout the British Isles.

"With one in five of those between 16 and 24 expected to be homeless at some point during their lives this is a hugely worthwhile cause and I ask you to help me raise money for this worthwhile charity," said one of tonight's temporary tramps, our good friend and yours, Mr Nick Knupffer.

Register readers keen to contribute to this worthwhile endeavour can make a donation or a pledge here. ®

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