- [Interviewer] Maria and Neville,
you're out here sleeping rough.
You're in London.
And we met you last night.
And last night you had your wheelchair,
and today I came back and told you I'd bring you some
hand warmers and you say it's the worst day of your life.
Why's that?
- Well basically we met a guy,
I thought was generally a nice guy,
and let him use my wheelchair to try
and earn a bit of money.
He said he would split the money with me.
He went around the corner and I thought alright
I'll leave him for five or ten minutes,
and basically he stole my wheelchair and all my belongings.
- [Interviewer] And your meds, your medication?
- I need my medication, I've got a lot of health problems.
- [Interviewer] So you're stranded, you can't move?
- I cannot move, no.
- [Interviewer] And now you and Neville have been
living rough here for?
- Four weeks.
- [Interviewer] Four weeks?
Now hasn't any outreach teams,
I mean there's a bunch of you right here,
it's a major street.
- We've had a couple of people who've come around with
sandwiches, cups of tea.
Basically we went to the passage and because they can't
help us anymore they want to relocate us back to where
we came from.
- [Interviewer] Right.
- They won't let us in the place anymore,
they won't feed us or anything.
- [Interviewer] So you were telling me last night,
you can't go back home because it's dangerous.
- We can't no.
It's too dangerous.
Our lives were at risk.
I got involved with some nasty people.
- [Interviewer] And so how are you surviving out here?
- Not great, I'll be honest.
I've been clean for months until recently.
And now I'm going to have to, you know,
it's not easy basically,
being on the streets is so hard that you turn to drugs.
You turn to alcohol.
- [Interviewer] Homelessness sucks,
it's hard to do homelessness sober.
- It's cold, it's uncomfortable.
- [Interviewer] It's freezing!
- And the only thing I'm thankful for
is that I've got a good man.
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- You know, do I need to add to that?
No?
We've got each other and that's very important.
- [Interviewer] Because you have these big huge
white blankets, I mean I couldn't miss you last night.
- Yes a double duvet, yeah.
- [Interviewer] I couldn't miss you.
- This is a new one.
- This is very new.
This is new to there.
- [Interviewer] Because your other one got stolen?
- Our other one got stolen.
All my medication, all my clothes, my stereo,
all my CDs I've had for years, mementos from where we lived.
- [Interviewer] Okay so now you need a wheelchair?
- I need a wheelchair.
- [Interviewer] And not just any wheelchair?
- I need an extra wide, extra sturdy, extra,
what is the word for it,
needs to be able to hold a lot of weight basically.
I urge anyone out there basically, if they can help.
- [Interviewer] Okay, well I came back here to give
you some numbers
and we'll try to get you some emergency service
and if not we'll go to see
what else we can do.
Maybe on social media or whatever.
So you know normally I ask people what their futures like,
but you told me today.
- It's bleak, it's bleak.
- [Interviewer] Today is one of your worst days ever.
- Yeah.
I just sometimes feel like
I just don't want to be around anymore.
You know?
- [Interviewer] You can make it, you know how we've been
talking for awhile about my homelessness
you know and sobriety,
and you can make it.
- I hope so.
- [Interviewer] I know it's hard, I know it's hard being
homeless and not being able to move.
- All we want is a roof over our head,
no matter how small.
And a bed.
I'm not worried about silly things like a TV
or anything like that.
It makes you appreciate what you had.
I shouldn't have got involved with the wrong people.
I made mistakes and I'm willing to change, you know?
As I said I'll never turn back to drugs
and as I said I'm upset with myself.
- Me too.
- He's back on drugs as well,
and I'm disappointed in myself, you know?
I'm not going to give myself a habit,
I haven't got a habit yet.
And I don't intend on getting one.
- [Interviewer] Have you been sleeping here
the whole four months?
- Four weeks.
- [Interviewer] Four weeks, I'm sorry.
- Different places, in London though.
- Here and up the road there.
- [Interviewer] Yeah but right, it's so obvious
I mean you're on a main street
and you've got a big white blanket.
There's a bunch of you.
- We had a lady earlier who gave us five pound each.
She was lovely.
Then we had some people come out and give us a cup of tea.
- [Interviewer] I know you offered me tea,
I'm very grateful, thank you.
- You know and without people like that as well.
- [Interviewer] And you got some awesome hand warmers.
- Yeah some brilliant hand warmers.
(Interviewer laughing)
- [Interviewer] So if you had three wishes,
I know I asked you last night.
- To have a roof over my head, a very cheap little car
so I could get around more, and a wheelchair.
To be honest, the wheelchairs my priority.
- And each other.
- [Interviewer] Well you have each other.
- We do, we've been married for four months,
been together five years,
and I've never been happier in the sense of a relationship.
I don't have to say it's so hard on the streets.
You know you worry every day that you might get attacked
or stabbed, or shot.
- [Interviewer] Or have your wheelchair stolen.
- Or have your wheelchair stolen, and it happens.
I trust too easily.
- [Interviewer] That's just scandalous.
- And I don't know what he's done with it,
because he was spotted down at the train station
and he didn't have the wheelchair.
So he sold it.
- [Interviewer] Oh my gosh.
- And I think that's despicable.
- [Interviewer] Well thank you very much
for talking with me. - No problem.
- [Interviewer] You'll be okay tonight and I'll come by
and check in tomorrow. - Brilliant, thank you.
- Thank you.