A homeless Sidmouth resident is asking 'why?' someone would take his 'home' and belongings from the Salcombe Hill area of the town this week. Big Issue vendor Antony Shannon, 33, was left with only a back pack and sleeping bag after his tent, clothes, coo

A homeless Sidmouth resident is asking 'why?' someone would take his 'home' and belongings from the Salcombe Hill area of the town this week.Big Issue vendor Antony Shannon, 33, was left with only a back pack and sleeping bag after his tent, clothes, cooking equipment and fishing gear was taken in the 'despicable' act. Mr Shannon had been in Exeter collecting copies of the magazine when he returned to find his possessions gone. He said: "It is just bad luck. I'm a Christian and non violent so I would just like to ask why anyone would want to do this to someone?Adding he preferred to do his own thing away from Exeter whilst he tried to save enough money to place a deposit on a flat.Now left to sleep rough until he can save enough money from magazine sales to buy a new tent, he relies on getting new clothes from charity shops and food donations from shopkeepers. The area known as Salcombe Hill is predominantly owned by the National Trust and as such camping is normally prohibited.Property manager of Killerton and East Devon National Trust, John Channon, said they hadn't had a report of anyone in the area, but they would generally ask the people camping to leave in the first place. He said that: "Unless the tent has been abandoned and we can not find out who lived there we would not move it. We are quite sensitive that we cannot go around taking peoples possessions."Concerned resident, Tony Dustan-Smith, said: "I know he has been sleeping in it for several months in all weathers and that it seemed such a despicable thing for anyone to do." He said he felt that the generally kind folk of Sidmouth would be appalled.