ADELAIDE executives sleeping rough during St Vincent de Paul’s CEO Sleepout were confronted by a group of homeless people angry about last night’s event.

About 130 executives were taking part in the charity’s major annual fundraiser in Whitmore Square when six homeless people crashed the event, irate at the fences and marquees that had been set up for the event.

Vinnies SA chief executive David Wark said some were demanding money and some were criticising the event but at no stage did any of the executives feel threatened.

“The group was genuinely homeless and were walking through Whitmore Square when they stopped, but they were in no way aggressive or nasty,” Mr Wark said.

“There was a suggestion that us sleeping out for a night was not what it’s like to be homeless which was a fair point.”

Despite the run-in, the SA event raised $560,000 and was on track to hit its $600,000 target by the end of the financial year.

“This would equal one of our best ever efforts,” Mr Wark said.

“We’re thrilled with the community support we’ve received and it’s honourable of a community organisation to have so much support.”

The money would be used to buy new technology to better communicate with people and record information digitally to lift productivity.

An estimated 6000 people are homeless in SA.