A homeless woman has said it is "very scary" to be a woman living on the streets and revealed the terrifying moment she had to run away from a man who was stalking her.
Carla Taylor from Ashurst has been living on the streets of Southampton for more than a year and relies on money from passers-by to help her make ends meet.
The 48-year-old found herself on the streets with nowhere to turn after her ex-husband started another relationship while Carla had been hospitalised with Covid-19 and suffered a heart attack.
This led to her being evicted from her home after a dispute with the New Forest District Council over pay.
For more than a year Carla has been on the streets fighting to survive day-by-day.
She said: “First I was living in my car and sleeping in it – then my car insurance ran out so police towed it away.
“That was like a kick when I was already down. I then got a tent and set up outside a shop in the city centre – the staff at the shop were lovely to me but someone from one of the other businesses took an issue with me and called in bailiffs.
“I came back to my tent one afternoon and everything I had was gone – then I only had what was in my pockets.”
Carla Taylor and her dog, George (Image: NQ) The former horse trainer has feared for her own safety while living on the street and chooses to spend the night in well lit areas with CCTV.
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She continued: “It's very scary to be a woman alone on the street. I had a person stalk me for a long time and I had to run away after I couldn’t get away from a man.
“I have had drunk teenage girls kick my tent which upset my dog, when I came out of the tent and asked them to stop I was punched in the face.
“People walk past me and yell ‘get a job’.
"Some people are so lovely and the only reason that I have been able to get a warm bed when I can.”
Most of Carla’s days consist of her trying to raise between £25 to £35 in order to get a night room, but this is not always possible.
She added: “The last two nights I have been out the front of the supermarket so I’m only running on a few hours sleep.
“If I can get an extra £10 today I'll have enough money to get a room tonight.”
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