Homeless man Daniel Gauntlett dies frozen on doorstep of empty bungalow in Aylesford

Homesless Daniel Gauntlett died outside this bungalow in Aylesford

by Chris Hunter

A tarpaulin, a pillow, a dirty old jacket, a carrier bag and a few worthless items strewn over the veranda of a boarded-up bungalow.

This is where homeless Daniel Gauntlett tried to find shelter through a bitterly cold winter and where, on a freezing night on Saturday, he finally succumbed to the cold.

Mr Gauntlett, 35, was found the next morning by a passer-by who spotted his body from the pavement.

His belongings still left where he died, residents in Hermitage Lane, Aylesford, reacted with sadness to the news and said Mr Gauntlett had become a familiar sight in the street.

And they said the sadness was compounded by the fact he died outside an empty bungalow due to be bulldozed.

Police had reportedly been called previously after he tried to break into the bungalow. And so Mr Gauntlett, had taken the fatal decision to abide by the law.

Derek Bailey, 80, who lives next door, said Mr Gauntlett had not appeared to be in ill health.