“My mum left home when I was five, leaving dad to bring us up,” explained George Stansfield, a homeless father of four.

“He worked for British Telecom and I went to Little Heath School. I've lived in Reading my whole life.”

Mr Stansfield is one of the many people that sleep on the streets of Reading and asks for money from a regular spot, in his case, by Bill's.

After completing a Youth Training Scheme at college, Mr Stansfield found work as a builder, archiver, arborist and farmer before settling into the catering world and into some form of domestic bliss.

“I was in a 22 year relationship. It was good for a long time but I was always at work. I didn't see my wife enough and we drifted apart.

“My kids didn't have a bad life. There was always food on the table. They were looked after.”

In October last year, with his relationship over and his three youngest girls taken into care, Mr Stansfield says he lost his home after failing to notify the Council that he was spending time at a friend's house.

“I found myself on the streets for the first time, living in a tent over by the bridge until I went back one day and found the council had taken it and left a note.”

Reduced to a small set of belongings and with an escalating drug problem, Mr Stansfield made the jump from smoking to injecting in a bid to stave off increasingly intense lows and to elongate his highs.

The track marks along his arms bare out the severity of this decision.

“I understand why people don't want to give me money. I take heroin and crack. Me and my girlfriend spend £50 or £60 a day on it.

“But I don't want to. It's horrible. It makes you feel ill.

“I am sure that most people know what it is about anyway. I have had people drop me £20 and say 'go sort yourself out.'”

Others take a different tack, either buying him food or deciding to throw 2p coins, spit and kick at Mr Stansfield. Others tell him to get a job.

In response, the former Southcote resident is attempting to kick the heroin with a course of methadone, use his old catering contacts to find work and rekindle his faith.

“The Christians are good for it. They sometimes pray for me, which is nice.

“I like to think of myself as a Christian. I went to St Laurence church the other day but I didn't go properly in. I felt a bit nervous.”