A former homeless man shared the one heartbreaking thing he missed most in the years he spent living on the streets.
Carl Smith, 55, spent much of his life sleeping rough after running away from a children's home when he was just 14.
Remembering his life on the streets, Carl said the one thing he missed most was simply having a conversation.
Speaking to the ECHO , Carl said: "When you start allowing people to die on the streets and you've cast them aside as though they're rubbish, you've told them they don't matter and they're worthless - it's not acceptable.
"The thing you miss most is talking to people, connecting, that bit of humanity - you have no conversation and that's hard.
"These people are missing out on a vital part of being a human being. We're social creatures but once you reach a certain level, you don't consider yourself normal and you think that's where you belong.
"Now, I have a house, I have neighbours and I have a dog - that, to me, is the greatest joy ever.
"All I ever wanted was to be treated like everyone else."
