A tree surgeon was left stunned after discovering a woman living in a hedge.
Gareth Olsen was clearing a field in Chester when he stumbled upon the woman, believed to be in her 50s, sleeping rough. She told Gareth she had lived there for up to three years because she couldn't bear to be parted from her 'soulmate' cat and landlords wouldn't accept her pet, Cheshire Live reports.
The woman slept in a sleeping bag in a tarpaulin shelter surrounded by bags and boxes. Gareth said: "It's such a sad story. I felt so shocked and sorry for her.
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"I was clearing a piece of land for a private landlord and it hadn't been touched for years. One of our guys was in a tractor and a little hand appeared out of the hedge waving and saying 'I live here'."
The woman's makeshift home was built with tarpaulin, umbrellas, an old sleeping bag and blankets, and cushions, while her possessions were laid all around her in bags and boxes. Gareth added: "Bless her. When I first met her I said I hope you don't mind me asking but how long have you been here and she said a couple of years - probably two or three.
"I asked her how she was managing and she said she was quite a hardy person and all she really needed was a sleeping bag as hers had seen better days. She was clearly not doing well.
"She was awfully nervous too, thinking we were going to kick her off the site. I said no, I'd like to try to help her.
"I wasn't leaving her there. I couldn't sleep that night, wanting to make sure she was OK. She was insistent at first that she would just move on and make sure the site was tidied before she did so." The woman told Gareth that she couldn't bear to be away from her cat.
She added that any accommodation she had found in the past would not accept her pet, so she gave up and decided to live in a hedge. Gareth handed the woman some change he had in his pocket so she could buy some food.
After thinking about the hardships from all the weather she had to sleep through alone, the tree surgeon stepped in to make sure she had the support she needed from a local homeless charity, Share. He also called his friend Adam Dandy, who is part of the charity, so they could quickly do something to support her.
Gareth said: "I'm 43 and a tree surgeon and I consider myself quite hardy but I could not do what she has been doing. She had a tarpaulin, some umbrellas and cushions and her worldly possessions in bags and boxes. It was pretty shocking. It's literally a place to exist. She was clearly keeping herself out of the way.
"I asked her if she had had any accommodation and she said she had done over the years but she has had a cat for a few years who she described as her 'soulmate' and lots of places wouldn't take her cat. I'm glad that it all came good in the end and she is now getting support."
Adam has since said that Share's outreach team was informed and provided a grid reference. Alongside the help and assistance of other local agencies, the woman is now receiving help and is in the process of finding housing.
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