Leslie Midwinter is not the stereotypical image of an extreme hoarder.
Much of what he collected, he said, had a use to him – books, records and electrical goods, rather than rubbish or piles of old magazines.
But his inability to get rid of things spiralled out of control, and ultimately left him homeless on Oxfordshire’s streets.
Now, aged 70, he has been able to manage his hoarding disorder and maintain a healthier lifestyle, thanks to support from mental health charity Response.
Hoarding disorder was formally classified as a mental health condition by the World Health Organization in 2018. It is estimated that up to four million people in the UK live with it.
Midwinter’s hoarding began following a period of unemployment after the death of his mother in 1991.
“I wasn’t the sort of person hoarding bags of rubbish or rotten food or stacks of newspapers. It was all viable, useful commodities I’d collected,” he said.
“But it got out of control. I was collecting things from skips and wheelie bins on a daily basis.”
“When I was young I was poor and I couldn’t afford expensive musical equipment. So when that kind of thing was being thrown away, I’d take advantage and get it – like I was making up for it,” he said.
“I don’t know if I’d say it made me happy exactly. Content, maybe – but not really happy. It kept me occupied, and in some way gave me a sense of achievement.”