Cases of homeless have been on the rise nationally
On Tuesday 5th February, two students were shocked to discover a man occupying the attic of their Penryn residence.
Meghan Truscott and Megan Devaney, both students of Falmouth University, were ‘both taken back’ when they discovered an unknown man who had made himself at home in their attic space of their flat along Higher Market Street in Penryn.
Speaking to Truthfal’s Remi Brand, Meghan Truscott explained how he was discovered at about 1pm on 5th February after a night of strange experiences:
“Me and Meg were out Monday night, but our other flat mate heard him in the bathroom around 1:30pm. She just presumed it was one of our friends that was in.
“He then accidentally walked into our housemate’s room at 5am Tuesday morning, but she was obviously tired and presumed it was one of our pals again.”
Meghan got back to her flat at 11am on Tuesday morning; when their flat mate started explaining the strange events, the group started to realise something was very wrong.
“When I got back, we connected the dots,” explained Truscott. “Me and [Devaney] walked to check the attic, which had been locked from the inside. When [Devaney] tried to open the door, she shoved it hard and startled the man inside.
“We were both taken back by it; [Truscott] went straight to her bedroom and although [Devaney] was also frightened, she took the situation into her own hands.
“The man ran out of the loft and out our flat and [Devaney] tried to run after him but was in her slippers so didn’t get far. ”
The perpetrator is thought to have entered the flat through the porch area and was believed to have been in the residence for a minimum of twelve hours, in correspondence to the (at the time) unrealised disturbances. Truscott told Truthfal the police were “very helpful and caring to the situation”.
The only items the man was believed to have taken from the property was milk and Coca-Cola.
The man is unknown at this time and believed to be homeless. Homelessness has been on the rise nationally over the last decade and Cornwall is no exception; according to National Audit Office, the number of rough sleepers in Cornish towns and its capital city increased by 52% between 2009 and 2016.
Speaking on the effects of the situation, Megan Devaney said: “It’s made us more aware to take care in our safety and also to relay the message to others.”