AN internet craze involving freezing cold water and a bucket is spreading around York's pubs.

Staff from the Punch Bowl, on Stonegate, were the first of the city's bars to take on the ice bucket challenge earlier this week, and nominated Harkers, The Cross Keys and The Old White Swan to follow suit.

Two of the three have now accepted the challenge to raise money for the Motor Nuerone Disease (MND) Association.

Michelle Radford, a team leader at the Punch Bowl, said: "We've had people coming in and putting money in our bucket, which has been really good.

"Harkers and The Cross Keys said they are doing it, and we haven't heard from The Old White Swan, but we are on their backs to get them to do it.

"It's good to know they are getting involved and we should raise about £100 by the end of the week."

The craze, which involves pouring icy water over your head, began in America to raise money for the country's version of MND, known as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and has captured the imagination of millions of people, including the world's A-List celebrities.

Emma Hooker, 23, a team leader at Harkers, in St Helen's Square, added: "We are trying to arrange something but it's difficult because we don't all work at the same time, but we are organising something as retaliation to the Punch Bowl!

"It's a friendly rivalry because we are part of the same chain, so it's a good bit of banter for a good cause."

Nick Cox, of The Cross Keys, says his staff plan on taking the challenge today.

He said: "We were already planning on doing this after a staff meeting and nominate a couple of other pubs.

"It's a good thing for pubs to get involved with and it's for charity too."