Former TV presenter made homeless

Spiralling debts forced Mr Mitchell to sell his house

A former news presenter is sleeping rough in after spiralling debts made him homeless.

Ed Mitchell, 54, who earned £100,000 a year at one point, said his problems began when he was made redundant from US TV network CNBC in 2000.

He said he started using one credit card to pay off another and eventually had to sell his house in Hove.

Mr Mitchell said that as a single man he was not a housing priority and now had to sleep rough on Hove seafront.

In 2005 the former BBC, ITN and Sky news reader and his wife divorced and two weeks ago his £250,000 debt led him to be declared bankrupt.

If you are a male and aged between 18 and 65 and not mad or disabled you're not a priority so you just do not get housing Ed Mitchell

He now sleeps on Hove seafront for a few hours a night and relies on homeless charities such as Off The Fence and First Base for food and bedding.

Mr Mitchell, who has a Durham University degree and went to Worthing High School, said: "It's not by choice. Obviously, I don't want to stand out and sleep out in this sort of weather.

"I was made redundant and I had had a life where I was earning £100,000, not at the BBC I might add, and it all came to an end.

"Suddenly the house of cards literally crumpled.

"After divorce and selling the house there was no alternative but to sleep rough."

'No regrets'

But he said he was happier than ever now the fear of debt had been lifted.

"If you are a male and aged between 18 and 65, and not mad or disabled, you're not a priority so you just do not get housing," he said.

"They don't have a duty of care."

Mr Mitchell said he did not blame Brighton and Hove City Council as the prioritisation of housing was a national policy.

"I don't have any regrets, I don't blame and I don't sit around whinging," he added.