Sleeping bags and hot water bottles at the ready, hardy campers braved the elements to do their bit to help save lives.

More than 150 people braved near freezing temperatures by sleeping outside in Cumbria overnight to highlight the potentially fatal risks that elderly people face during the cold winter months.

Campers from Carlisle and west Cumbria were among those pitching up on the shores of Windermere, outside Low Wood Bay Hotel as part of the Big Sleep, which is now in its fourth year.

The initiative is run by Cumbria Community Foundation (CCF) as part of a Winter Warmth appeal, which has raised £600,000 in seven years.

With fuel poverty a “serious issue in Cumbria,” the CCF is keen to help vulnerable older people across the county heat their homes during winter when temperatures often drop below freezing.

The county’s police and crime commissioner, Peter McCall, celebrated his birthday by enduring a freezing night by the water to highlight the issue.

Mr McCall, who spent time in the military, said: “The Winter Warmth Appeal is clearly a brilliant initiative and we should all be worried about elderly folk not being able to keep themselves warm in winter.

“By doing this we raise publicity about this important cause.

“In my 30 years in the Army I’ve spent my birthday in one or two different places but this is a novel setting and I thoroughly enjoyed waking up on a sunny Sunday morning overlooking the lake.”

Youngsters from Wetheral Brownies and a team from the firm Dodd & Co from Carlisle were among those taking part.

Annalee Holliday, who helped to organise the event through the CCF, praised those who brave bitterly cold temperatures year after year for the Big Sleep, with this year’s event expected to raise more than £20,000 for the appeal.

She said: “This is a real issue.

Click here for a Big Sleep 2017 photo slideshow

“There are lots of elderly people out there who can’t afford to heat their homes and spending one night suffering in the cold makes people realise that this is what elderly people go through every night in winter.

“The people who take part are absolutely amazing and before any of them had even slept through the night they had raised £9,000 through their JustGiving pages, which is incredible.”

The event attracts sleepers from all walks of life, with the oldest participant aged 69.

However, this year, more than 50 youngsters joined their parents and scouting groups to take part, with children as young as four withstanding temperatures as low as 1C for the cause.