War veteran faces bleak Christmas

A Falklands War veteran has described how he will face his first Christmas in a rented flat after losing his Kent home and his chauffeuring business.

Divorcee William Noble, 50, who served with the Scots Guards, moved into the one-bed flat on 27 November after his family home in Chatham was repossessed.

The rising cost of fuel and a drop in custom combined to cause the collapse of his business in April.

"There's just no light at the end of it," he said.

"Sometimes I find myself just sitting in my bedroom looking at a blank space."

Mr Noble, who raised two daughters and a son in his former home, a three bedroom mid-terraced house, is now on medication to treat depression and high blood pressure.

His ordeal began just as the credit crunch first began to stir.

He had run Luxury Chauffeur Travel for the past eight years, employing four staff.

High-profile passengers included U2 frontman Bono and opera star Placido Domingo.

But as fuel prices climbed, custom dropped off and the company ceased trading.

He could not pay his mortgage and lost the house.

"One of my daughters can't even drive past the old house now, she just bursts into tears", Mr Noble said.

"What I used to spend in one night on a meal out, I now have to make last for the whole week for food, bills, rent - everything."

He turned to housing charity Shelter for advice and is getting help with job hunting from the Royal British Legion.

"I'm so grateful to Shelter - they were there when I really needed help," he said.

"You just don't know what to do when something like this happens to you.

"I hope I can spend Christmas with my daughters, but at the same time I don't want to be a burden to anyone."

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