Darren Davis tells Abbie Wightwick that people shouldn't judge others when they see them living on the streets

DARREN Davis was sleeping rough on the streets in Cardiff when a passerby decided to casually kick him in the head for no apparent reason. It's something the care leaver said he has got used to being homeless.

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Taken into care aged 14, Darren, now 39, says he has experienced violence and loneliness and has spent Christmas on the streets, but this year will be at The Wallich hostel in Cardiff with his beloved dog Poppy.

Darren says his life “spiralled” when family life broke down and he was taken into care. As a young care leaver he received little support and was introduced to drugs which he’s now clean from.

Latest figures show that 90 homeless people in Wales died last year.

He urged people not to jump to conclusions and judge people about how and why they end up sleeping rough.

“It’s a lot harder being homeless in cold weather. Trying to find somewhere to bed down can be very hard. People judge a lot as well when you're on the streets.

“You get people who are brilliant but I had some person come up and kick me in the head while I was on the street. There’s some people are like that, you know what I mean?

“Not everyone chooses to be homeless. There could be a lot more around, a lot more information and what have you around homelessness. Because obviously everybody can become homeless. It’s only a matter of a situation that goes wrong. So we can all become in that situation. I don’t wish it on anybody.”

Darren was left to fend for himself from a young age and says he always found it hard asking for the help he needed.