ONE of Ludlow’s most loved characters who lived in a garage in the town for a decade has died.

Simon Lissauer was a homeless man who was a well-known figure around the town with many friends.

He died in an ambulance after becoming unwell.

Mr Lissauer was believed to be aged around 60.

People had tried to help him and he had been offered accommodation.

“The death of Simon has affected many people,” said Andy Boddington , who knew him as a friend.

“The team of council officers had been working so hard to help him.

“There is a sense of failure amongst us. Simon could be difficult to deal with at times. But we were getting closer to getting him into permanent accommodation when his body gave way.”

It is not known where he came from and how it came about that he chose to make his home in Ludlow.

He is known to have had mental health problems which is often an issue for people who find themselves homeless.

Mr Boddington said that because of this it would be too simplistic to say that living in a garage was a choice.

There is at least one other person in the town sleeping rough.