Despicable thugs kicked a popular homeless man in the face as he slept in a doorway.
Chronically ill Dave, 52, was kicked in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, as he sheltered from the cold leaving him covered in blood.
He said he was shocked at the state of his face when he woke up, and questioned why he was singled out for the unprovoked attack.
It's not the first time that a homeless person has been assaulted in the town centre.
Earlier this year, Shane, a mild-mannered 46-year-old, who had been on the streets for 15 years, told ExaminerLive he was spat at by vile yobs.
Dave, who has lived in Huddersfield all his life, said the incident occurred in the early hours of the morning, three weeks ago.
He said: "I got kicked in the face while sleeping in a shop doorway in the town centre. I couldn't believe the state of my face when I finally got 'round to looking at myself in a mirror.
"There was blood everywhere, it wasn't very nice but I had to pick myself and get on."
Dave, who only wanted to give his first name, spoke of some of the most positive experiences on the street, but said what happened in November left him struggling mentally.
"I have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and mental health problems with a massively reduced lung capacity - perhaps 20 per cent on a good day - so I am the last person to look for trouble," he added.
"I have been on the streets for 18 months after getting thrown out of my last place after some drugs were found there.
"Generally, I don't like to ask people for money, times are hard. I know for shoppers it doesn't look good. I pick tab ends off the floor - they keep me going a bit."
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As for how he copes as temperatures start to plummet, he said: "As long as I'm in this sleeping bag, which keeps you reasonably warm as long as the temperature is no lower than -5C, I'm okay.
"If I had a Christmas wish it would be that I could go back 10 years. I was married, had a gorgeous wife and two sons. As for life on the streets, ignorance is the worst thing but being acknowledged is nice.
"A seven-year-old boy brought me a hot chocolate which was nice, and this afternoon a shy young boy came over with his dad and pressed a £1 coin in my hand. There are some good people, but some horrible people too."
