Former homeless man taking on Great North Run

Tony Jones found himself homeless following the breakdown of his marriage

A man is taking on the Great North Run in aid of the homelessness charity which helped him after he found himself on the streets.

Tony Jones, 64, from South Shields, became homeless in 2016 following the breakdown of his marriage and experience with depression, which led him to sofa surfing before sleeping rough.

Running on behalf of Emmaus North East, he eventually moved into one of its accommodation which offered a roof over his head, stability and new friendships.

"We've got a stereotype about homelessness," said Mr Jones. "People think that every person who is homeless is an alcoholic or drug addict, but we're not."

The 64-year-old now runs Lucie's Loft, Emmaus' charity shop in Low Fell, Gateshead.

"There’s so many people who are homeless now, and each person has their own story as to how they arrived there. It really could happen to anyone," he added.

Mr Jones will take on Sunday's Great North Run between Newcastle and South Shields

Emmaus offers accommodation, training and work opportunities as part of its long-term support for homeless people in the North East.

Running has always been a hobby for Mr Jones and he hopes that completing the Great North Run will inspire others to take on challenges, no matter what their age.

"I'm 64, so people say 'you're too old to run', but I want to do it for as long as I can," he said.

"It makes me feel like my life has turned a full circle. I did marathons when I was still married and had a 'normal life'.

"So, the way I look at it, I've been down at the bottom and once I've done the Great North Run, I'll think 'I've done it, I've come back'."

The Great North Run, on Sunday, will see 60,000 runners take on the half marathon between Newcastle and South Shields.

Coverage begins from 06:00 BST on BBC Radio Newcastle and from 10:00 BST on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.