Homeless blogger 'Tom' turns to Twitter

Published: 22 October 2010
by JOSH LOEB

AN elusive homeless blogger has been chronicling her life sleeping rough in Westminster via hard-hitting messages on the website Twitter. 

The woman, who said she wanted to remain anonymous but who goes by the online alias of Tom, has been living on the streets of the West End and in homeless hostels for around eight months, having been evicted by her landlord.

She uses the microblogging website  to keep a diary and has 171 followers, including the charity Shelter and Times journalist Daisy Greenwell. 

She told the West End Extra that she uses her phone to access the web and write about the rigours of sleeping rough. She said: “The idea came to me spontan­eously as I wanted to chronicle my life and give an idea of what services for homeless people are like from the perspective of someone who uses them.” 

Some of her messages describe the dangers of life on the streets. 

One describes how a drug user tried to assault her while she slept near Covent Garden, but others are happier. 

One reads: “Man  gave me breakfast this morning – Dutch/ German fella. He said  he bought it but now wasn’t hungry. 

“What a sweet lie.”

• See www.twitter.com/aibaihe or the Streets of Westminster blog www.aibaihe.wordpress.com