Tear-jerking footage has emerged that shows an 85-year-old war veteran living alone in squalor with no working kitchen appliances and flattened cardboard used as carpet.
Karine Fox made the upsetting discovery when she visited the dilapidated home of the pensioner, known only as Reg, to fit a new TV set.
Part of the man's roof had also come down through his bedroom and living room, leaving a huge "unsafe" hole in the floor and the property has no back door, Birmingham Live reports.
Shocked at the grim living conditions of the octogenarian in Hall Green, Birmingham, she has now launched a £5,000 fundraising plea to help the OAP.
Reg has no working fridge, cooker, microwave or washing machine with flattened cardboard boxes lining the stripped-back floor where carpet should be.
Wires are left chewed from rats, the downstairs windows are broken and the property has no back door.
Karine said: "I just went over to fit a TV, I've never cried so much in all my life.
"Still can’t stop. In this day and age, an elderly man living in these conditions.
"He has no fridge, no cooker, no microwave and is sitting on a broken settee, living in squalor. My heart is broken in so much devastation at these awful living conditions."
During the visit, Karine discovered rats had chewed through his electrics, there were leaks in the roof, holes in the floor and a thick layer of 'grime' throughout.
Amongst the chaos in his home, he had also lost his pet cat.
Karine then called upon a friend who works under the animal house rescue.
Rosie Seeley said: "Because he's never invited anyone back, they weren't aware he was struggling in this way.
"We managed to find the cat and he said he couldn’t care for the cat anymore and asked could we take it?
"We removed the cat he was struggling to care for but he’s keeping his dogs and they’ve today been treated under the animal house rescue and groomed by myself."
Together, the two women set up a GoFundMe appeal with the target of raising £5,000.
Rosie said: "We’ve had tradesman come forward to do jobs that need to be done out of their own pocket but nothing can be done until the industrial cleaning company go in over next few days and gut it with a skip.
"People have also sent donations of food hampers, bedding etc and come forward with furniture , which will go in after the deep clean and appliances."
To donate to the appeal click here.
