With your help Bob may find place to stay

Stacy Green and Jayne Blackburn asked the Courier to help with their efforts to clear out an old stable near Warwick Racecourse after the landlord of the Foresters Arms first offered his help.

Homeless Bob, aged 66, has been lying on cardboard bundled up in four or five coats for the past couple of weeks.

When mother-of-one Stacy decided to take him some hot food and a drink Bob told her he was originally from the Black Country but had chosen to come to Warwick because it was safer than sleeping on the streets of Wolverhampton or Birmingham.

Then Matt Willoughby, landlord of the Foresters Arms, offered the use of an old stable next to his pub. Stacy and Jayne appealed on the Courier’s website for help to clear away bricks, rubble and an old fridge freezer.

Ever since we posted their appeal on our website on Tuesday, the two women’s phones have hardly stopped ringing.

As a result local businessman James Barnsley has offered to pay for rubbish skips and to take a transport tipper round to the pub tomorrow (Sat) to clear the stable.

Stacy, who is still worried, said: “We’re just overwhelmed by the public’s response and can’t get the place cleaned up soon enough. Bob seems such a nice man but he was freezing in the alleyway on Tuesday night when I took him some food.

“Jayne and I are astonished by all the offers of help we’ve received since the story on your website. My phone has just gone crazy with Warwickshire people ringing from as far as Bedworth to offer their help.”

At the pub Matt is expecting some of his customers to join in with the voluntary clean up effort now due to run all day Saturday.

He said: “We’ll be able to put a mattress or a bed in there and at least Bob can get out of the cold at night.

“I remember seeing him looking in our dustbins for food one day and took him out some crisps.

“Since then even our chef’s been making him the occasional meal.

“If we could clear the stable that would really give him a good Christmas.”

Both Jayne and Stacy hope that as many people as possible can go along on Saturday with a view to making the stable fit for human habitation.

Bob, who took to the road after relationship and debt problems, has told them how grateful he is for their support.

On Wednesday Jayne and Stacy met Mr Barnsley, who runs the Warwick-based Silverline Wheels and Tyres who has promised to drive a transit tipper lorry tomorrow.