A Falmouth man worries that he could be made homeless by the same charity that saved him from the streets 14 years ago.

Victor Garrat-Smith, 69, lost his job as a live-in carer in Bodmin back in 2005.

He sold off his prized stamp collection and used the money to get by for a while, living in bed and breakfasts around Cornwall.

When his stamp money started to dwindle, he contacted St Petrocs in Truro to see if they could help find him a home, but they had no vacancies.

At his lowest point, Victor began looking "round the back of the shops to see where the best place was to hunker down out of the way".

Just when he thought his luck was running out, he got a call from St Petrocs saying that they had found him a room.

The accommodation gave him a stable base from which he started to put his life back together.

He took courses on bookkeeping at Truro College and worked at various charity shops.

Victor said: "I didn't just want to sit round in a lounge with the other homeless people, I wanted to do something."

After staying with St Petrocs for nearly a year, he found a cosy one-bedroom flat in Bank Place, opposite Trago, and started working in a restaurant. He has lived there ever since.

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But recent developments could leave him without a home again. Victor's landlord recently passed away and the building is now for sale.

A Salford-based investment company is eyeing it up with a mind to lease it to St Petrocs to be used as a homeless shelter, and a planning application for change of use has been submitted to change the eight single-bedroom building into a shelter for 16 people.

Victor said: "Why do they have to put it here? It just doesn't make sense. All they're doing is putting us out in the streets so they can put 16 people from the streets in here."

Victor, turning 70 this year, has trouble walking and even a short trip over the road to Tesco can be troublesome with his bad hip and breathing difficulties.

He has also amassed a collection of objects over the years: old electronics, books, artwork and religious iconography from different faiths to name a few.

He worries that if he did have to move, he would be forced to leave his collection behind as he gets out of breath just bringing the shopping in.

Meanwhile, he says both Sarah Newton MP and St Petrocs have not responded to his messages, and he only found out about the plans when a letter from Cornwall Council was posted through his door.

St Petrocs' legal director Justin Day said that discussions about the possible use of the building as a homeless shelter are still in their early stages and that the building could still be purchased by someone else.

He said: "I do not think that Victor has anything to fear about St Petrocs having the management of the property if indeed we manage to come to an agreement with the proposed new owner."

Although Mr Day did not confirm whether Victor would be able to stay at Bank Place if it was converted into a homeless shelter, he did say "if it ever gets to the stage that St Petrocs can use the property then we are happy to talk to, and engage with Victor."

He also pointed out that "there is a great need for appropriate housing for those who are faced with homelessness, or are in need of a roof over their head", especially in and around Falmouth.

The building is currently listed for sale by estate agent Lakowski for £675,000.

Cornwall Council have yet to make a decision on the application.