A VETERAN who says a housing association revoked an offer of a flat to him at one day’s notice has slept on the street outside the company’s office in protest.

James Trainor, 41, spent the night on Thursday last week in a sleeping bag on the pavement outside the Aster office, in Greenwich Way, after seeing his bid for a property fall through.

He claims he had been offered the keys to a flat in Tidworth, but that a decision was made to withdraw the offer at less than a day’s notice.

Speaking the following week, James said: “They still stuck by the decision. They put me back in the place where I was living where I don’t feel safe.”

Aster staff offered to put James up in a hotel for the night, but he said he would rather sleep outside the office so he could speak to them first thing in the morning.

“I actually had a better night’s sleep outside,” he said.

James was a solider in Afghanistan and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“It’s not fair,” he added. “I’ve done my time, I’ve been out there. I’ve come back a bit upset and with a few problems and they don’t want to house me.”

James says an Aster staff member told him he could collect the keys to a flat at Merrington Way, Tidworth, on Wednesday, April 3.

But at less than a days’ notice he said he was asked ‘hypothetical questions’ before seeing his offer withdrawn.

James said: “They offered me the flat then asked for information. But they should have got all that information before offering me the flat.

“They have asked hypothetical questions like ‘what if he goes to the pub 100 yards down the road? What if there’s other people in the area with mental health problems?’

“She shouldn’t have offered me the viewing or the keys. But she did.”

James says the reason he was not offered the property in Tidworth is because it features a communal front door.

“They said they are trying to safeguard me and them [the people who already live there].”

“What’s the problem with a communal front door? That’s why it was taken from me.

“Where I live now has a communal front door, communal sitting room, communal kitchen.”

James added: “They are not seeing me for who I am. This flat was the ideal situation for me. It was close to support networks, which they were told.”

An Aster spokesperson confirmed the group had been working with James to try and find him a suitable property since March.

The spokesperson said: “We’re really sorry that we have been unable to formally offer James this particular property.

“We have a duty of care to ensure we offer a property which meets each applicant’s needs but represents no risk to themselves or others living in the community.

“With this particular property, which features a communal entrance, our risk assessment identified too many risks to both James and our other customers living in the building. We’ll continue to work with Wiltshire Council to try to identify a more suitable property for James in the Tidworth area as soon as possible.”

James has been told he can still bid for other properties and has applied for a flat in Amesbury. But Tidworth remains his preferred destination.

“Tidworth is the place I really need to be as they have got the support there – Help for Heroes.”

Despite missing out on the Merrington Way flat, James hopes his experience will affect the way Aster approach other veterans in his position.

“Hopefully this can open their eyes in case anyone else comes to them with PTSD.

“I want this done because to use the excuse of safeguarding and a communal front door is the lamest excuse I’ve heard.”