Other
homeless ex-serviceman took the man, known only as George, to hospital but he
passed away with them at his bedside
Tragic: The pensioner was said to have died hours after he
was evicted from a city centre squat (file picture)
A
homeless ex-soldier died hours after he was evicted from a city centre squat.
Known
only as George, the 82-year-old is believed to have passed away from bronchial
pneumonia, a support group for veterans has revealed.
He
had been living in a disused building in Manchester with 12 other homeless
ex-servicemen before they were all evicted.
His
‘band of brothers’ walked with him to Salford Royal Hospital after he was taken
ill and he died with four of them at his bedside.
Salford
Armed Forces Veterans Network (SAFVN), which is in contact with the group, say
they know little about George, but said his death was a damning indictment on
support services available for homeless ex-service personnel across the
country.
He
is believed to have proudly worn his military service medals at all times and
been homeless for around 20 years.
The
tragedy follows legal wrangles over homeless camps in Manchester city centre,
new council policies to open up derelict buildings for rough sleepers over
winter and Manchester United legends Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs letting a
group of homeless people stay at the old Stock Exchange building on Norfolk
Street, which they own and plan to convert into a luxury hotel.
Gesture: Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs allow homeless
protesters to stay in their hotel
George
was believed to have been staying in another city centre building and a court
order had been obtained for his eviction, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Chris
Barwood, chairman of the SAFVN, said he was a ‘forgotten hero’ who served his
country, but had become ‘invisible’.
Calling
for a national campaign to find homes for all ex-soldiers sleeping rough, she
said: “Let George be the last homeless soldier on the streets. Let us ensure
that no other veteran who has served his country is ever homeless or hungry in
the future.”
Read more: Homeless mum and daughter living in a car for over a year turn downhousing two and a half hours away
The
network, launched in January, has 70 members and is applying to be a charity.
It offers help and support to services families and veterans. One of the group
of 12 homeless men phoned the service to say George had been taken ill, before
news of his death was relayed to them later.
Mrs
Barwood, who has two sons in the military, said: “One member of the group rang
us and said George had a bad chest and a cold and we told them to take him to
hospital.
Heartbreaking: 'George' passed away with his friends by his
side at Salford Royal Hospital
“His
small band of brothers, 12 other ex-soldiers living on the streets of
Manchester, were evicted from a building in the centre of the city. Although
not an ideal resting place, at least it sheltered them from the rain, wind and
cold.
“It
seems incredible to me that we are turning our backs on our troops who have
taken the Queen’s shilling, sworn the oath of allegiance and offered up their
lives to keep us safe and yet in return we do nothing to ensure that they have
a roof over their heads and food in their bellies for their remaining years.”
The
SAFVN are now in contact with the hospital in a bid to trace relatives. They
also want to plan George’s funeral.
Mrs
Barwood said: “Even if we find out just his Army number or military number then
we can trace him. We don’t even have a surname. All we know about him was that
he would always wear his medals. We believe that he has been on the streets for
20 years.”
Source : mirror.co.uk