'We have to help stop it': Lancashire veterans spend night on the street to highlight just how many ex-forces personnel are homeless

Alf Clempson, who is the authority’s champion for armed forces and veterans, took part in the Great Tommy Sleep Out – a national event designed to support the more than 6,000 former UK military personnel without a place to call home in the country that they have served.

He and two friends set up camp outside Booths supermarket in Poulton-le Fylde – the division he represents at County Hall – on Thursday morning and stayed there for 24 hours.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service moments after completing the challenge, County Cllr Clempson – who slept on the ground in a sleeping bag – said that it had been “a little bit wet” for the trio during the night, but that they had had the edge taken off their self-imposed night under the stars in a way that would not always be the case for those veterans with little choice but to take to the streets.

“We had a lot of people supporting us and coming down and giving us all kinds of things – and now we are off to get a full English breakfast before getting some sleep,” he said.

Having spent 24 years in the Scots Guards, County Cllr Clempson is keen not to generalise about why former forces recruits like him might end up with nowhere – and no-one – to turn to. But he does want to boost the profile of the Tommy Club, of which he is a founding patron.

“There are lots of reasons why people might end up on the street – veterans or otherwise. And even for veterans, those reasons might not be connected to their service – but they deserve a second chance and deserve our support.

“The Royal British Legion Industries [of which the Tommy Club is an arm] do some great work in getting veterans off the street and getting them on that ladder to get back [into] society.

“This is about bringing [the issue] to people’s attention – highlighting it and hopefully trying to stop it.”

County Cllr Clempson had set himself a £1,000 fundraising target, which he is confident has been exceeded when factoring in donations handed over in person during the sleep-out.

However, he would still like anybody who feels able to donate to do so via an online page set up for the event – justgiving.com/fundraising/alf-clempson

Joining County Cllr Clempson for his night on the street were fellow Wyre-based veterans Dave Whitworth, formerly of the army physical training corp, and Peter Le Marinel, who served in the army catering corps.