AN 80-YEAR-OLD homelessness campaigner has revealed the heartbreaking domestic abuse story driving his new campaign.

Hove resident John Hadman has called for more homeless shelters to be built across the city to prevent people sleeping rough.

In an interview with The Argus, Mr Hadman fought through tears as he explained why he felt so strongly about helping those made homeless because of domestic abuse.

“I lost my mother to domestic abuse when I was ten months old,” he said.

“I only found out years later when I read the newspaper. I had to get counselling.

“This is the first time I’ve ever told anyone outside of counselling.”

Mr Hadman is now calling on candidates for the December General Election to back his campaign to build more homeless shelters in Brighton and Hove.

He said: “I want a good system in place so nobody ends up on the streets, taking drugs and losing their self-esteem.

“More shelters need to be built so the homeless stay out of dangerous hostels and bad accommodation.

“It seems like there’s no will in society to do anything.

“But this is an emergency.

“There are people dying on the streets.”

Mr Hadman, originally from Peterborough, suggested using King’s House in Hove, the former council offices, as a shelter for the homeless.

“It would be perfect for a shelter. There are different entrances at the front so it could be separated into men and women,” the Brighton and Hove Housing Coalition activist said.

“There’s plenty of space in there and it’s built already.”

Mr Hadman also proposed using unused buildings as temporary homeless shelters, a policy known as guardianship.

He said: “What we need is a war on homelessness.

“I hate using that word because I hate war.

“But it’s a war that needs to be fought.”

Mr Hadman now hopes all political parties will promise in their December General Election manifestos to build shelters.

“Brighton and Hove will be a shining example for the rest of the country if we take action here,” he said.

“It would be amazing if this became a national campaign.”

The Brighton and Hove Housing Coalition has also campaigned for Brighton and Hove City Council to adopt a Homeless Bill of Rights.

The bill would guarantee 13 rights for homeless people including the right to safe emergency accommodation and a postal address.

It was set to be debated by the city council’s housing committee in September but that has not happened.

If Brighton adopted the bill, it would become the first city in the UK to do so.

Six other European cities have approved the bill, including Barcelona.