A BUS being converted into a shelter for rough sleepers has found a new home outside Swindon after the owner was asked to move from its current location.

Gerry Watkins is behind the Big Yellow Bus project which aims to provide nine homeless people with a warm place to lay their head for the night.

A volunteer came forward after Gerry sought help in finding a new spot where he could continue working on the conversion.

On Facebook Gerry said: “I really need to find somewhere that is secure and very urgently. I hate to say this but if I can’t find anywhere or someone that can help me this week I may need to get rid of it and I really don’t want to do that. So, if you know anyone that may be able to help me please can you get in touch.”

Gerry, a Warehouse driver for Edmont, was storing the bus behind the Hammel Building in Westmead but said the firm had asked him to move it.

Marketing consultant for Edmont Nikola Andrews said: “ We had mentioned to Gerry that we would eventually require him to move the bus from its current location, as we will be making some changes to our site at West Swindon as part of our ISO14001 compliance, which includes the addition of skips.

"However, there was no set date for this. Jerry told us he would be moving the bus in October as it would be ready then – this wasn’t a deadline given by Edmont, and we would have been happy for him to continue to use the site until he found a replacement.

"Edmont have always fully supported the Big Yellow Bus Project, providing a space for him to work on the bus, utilising company facilities for work and storage, as well as company time and resources.

"Many of the team here at Edmont support the project personally – it’s a great project and we will continue to support him in any way we can."

Now the bus has a new home on a land near Fairford but he needs help to shift it. “I tried all the big vehicle recovery firms and no luck.”

Gerry told the Adver: “I was beginning to think I may have to get someone else to take on the project which I wouldn’t have minded, but I have put a lot of time into it. Now at least I can concentrate fully on getting it finished as this took a lot of my time trying to find somewhere safe and secure.”

He started his first project after noticing a rise in the number of homeless people in Cirencester. The Swindon bus is his second. “I will raise funds by putting on events to raise the funds to buy what’s needed to finish off the project just as I did with the first.”