Veteran camps in woods for months waiting for home

An Army veteran has spent the last 15 weeks camping in woods while waiting for his social housing application to be processed.

Blair Murray, 44, served more than a decade in the Royal Logistics Corps up to 2010, but was made homeless by a landlord last year and spent months staying with friends before setting up camp in woodland near Crook in County Durham.

Murray said he had lined up a job and arranged to start counselling sessions, but both were being held up by his lack of a home.

Since the BBC got in touch with Durham County Council, homeless prevention manager Christopher Hepworth said the authority had worked with the Armed Forces Outreach Service and booked him into a hotel.

Hepworth said: "We will continue to work with him to secure suitable, stable, long-term accommodation."

In the most recent survey carried out by the Office for Veterans' Affairs, one in 400 ex-service personnel reported they were homeless or sleeping rough.

Murray's time in the Army included tours to Iraq, Kosovo, Bosnia and the Falklands.

He admitted life had often been "a bit of a struggle" as he tried to transition to civilian life.

He developed a drug habit but said: "I stepped away from that years ago.

"I have been offered hostels where there is drink and drugs you don't want to be around.

"I try and avoid those situations. I will deteriorate so quickly in there."

Murray said he had worked with four different housing officers in three months, but felt let down as meetings were missed and promised phone calls failed to materialise.

He said: "Nobody should be fighting to be heard the way I have been for the past 15 weeks.

"The whole process is wrong and the whole system is broken."

Prior to the offer of temporary accommodation, he told the BBC: "I am looking at building a wood cabin as it looks like I'll be here in winter.

"I do survivalism as a hobby so I'm used to camping in winter, but normally I have somewhere to go back to."

Ian Driver, who runs Veterans Response and has been supporting Murray with food parcels, said the situation was "just wrong", with the veteran "surviving day to day".

Driver brought Murray a food package every Thursday and said he had seen the last few weeks take a toll.

"From being very positive he has now had enough," he said.

"This should never ever be happening.

"This whole process makes the veteran community not want to engage for support because they are going to get let down."

Durham County Council said it provided "practical advice" to veterans, "connecting them with the services and support they need within their local communities".

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