The annual Christmas sleep-out by students of Belvedere College in Dublin has been cancelled due to fears that those sleeping rough to raise money for the homeless may be attacked.
Students involved in the sleep-out say the large amounts of cash they collect for charity would make them vulnerable to knife and syringe attacks if they slept out in College Green this year.
"The event has been trouble-free in the past," said Belvedere College 6th year student Mr Ciaran Dyer. "But we couldn't wait for something to happen and then cancel when it was too late. The money makes us a target and we felt the students would be at risk of attack."
Over €1 million has been raised for charity since the sleep-out began 15 years ago. One of the main beneficiaries of the money raised is the boys' homeless shelter in Dublin run by Jesuit priest Father Peter McVerry.
The annual donation of €30,000 is part of his budget.
He said he understood the decision and said the cancellation was "a sign of the times". "Dublin is a much more dangerous city and the risks are greater than ever before," he said.
"It is unacceptable that young people should put themselves at risk of contracting HIV from a syringe or injury from a knife attack."
According to Mr Dyer, the students are considering another venue for the sleep-in, possibly the vacant Manchester United store on Westmoreland Street.
Meanwhile, the annual sleep-out by past pupils of the school at the GPO from 6 p.m. on December 22nd to 6 p.m. on December 24th will still go ahead.
Alternative fund-raising events are planned by the current students of Belvedere, including an "all-ages" gig tonight in Whelan's of Wexford Street, featuring The Revs and two of the school's own bands Lost and Messiah Operation.
Tickets cost €12 at the door and all proceeds go to Father Peter McVerry.