A POVERTY-STRICKEN Darwen man says he is "overwhelmed" by the support he has received from local people to help furnish his bare home.

Two weeks ago, The Citizen reported how impoverished Dennis Robertson had been left with less than £4 a week after paying bills and debts with his £77.75 a week benefits. He received 44p too much for him to apply for additional grants.

To make matters worse, Scotsman Dennis is also scrimping and saving to pay for furniture to fill his bare Ellenshaw Close flat.

But, after readers learnt about his plight, he has been delighted with offers he has received.

He told the Citizen: "I can't believe how helpful people have been towards me.

"One man has given me a three-piece suite and that has solved nearly all my problems in one go.

"It means I now have somewhere to sleep instead of just on the floor, which is what I had to do until recently."

Mr Robertson, who moved to Darwen late last year to "start afresh" after serving a spell in prison for robbery, left a bedsit in Duckworth Street after all his belongings were stolen.

His new council flat is currently bare because he moved in just days after a council-run scheme loaning furniture to tenants came to an end.

His flat is furnished with just one rug, a lamp, a beer crate and a thin duvet, but things are looking up. He has almost saved enough money for a carpet and more bedroom furniture is on the way along with a new cooker so he can cook his own food ... as soon as he can afford it.

He added: "I can't tell you how grateful I am. Three months ago I was so depressed I nearly committed suicide. I am still on tablets to help me through because my life was so bleak.

"But the local people of Darwen have been ever so good to me. I suppose I don't deserve it but I will be eternally grateful to a lot of people.

"I'm sure I will be very happy here."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.