A homeless man living in the shadow of a new gym in Barnsley has been offered a job and somewhere to live by the chairman of the company.

Lifestyles Fitness, on Shambles Street, is due to open in August but staff discovered one of the recesses at the front of the building is home to Dean Sanders, who is sleeping rough there.

Instead of turfing him out and moving him on, chairman Carl Gripenstedt has offered to rehouse Dean, 40, and give him a job at the fitness centre.

Dean, who has been living on the streets for about two years, said was staggered at the offer and after much deliberation he has decided to accept. He said: "I have slightly mixed feeling about it all but I'm going to do it. I think it could be the worst day or the best day of my life, but I will not know until I go for it."

Mr Gripenstedt, 57, spoke to the Chronicle exclusively from his home in Sweden. "He was going to be kicked out straight away but I have been working with homeless people for a long time and I said to staff, 'no, no we do not do that'.

"I really do not want to kick him out. If he wants, we will help him. With a little determination he will come out of the side of his problems. I would be really proud if we could turn him around."

To find out why Mr Gripenstedt felt so strongly, see the Chronicle Town edition.