Homeless people stay at Gatwick airport because they think of it as a safe haven away from the perils of life on the streets.

It was claimed this week that more than 40 rough sleepers make the airport their home every year.

Peter Mansfield-Clark, the director of homeless charity Crawley Open House, said people are attracted from all over the country as it is seen as a soft touch.

They avoid detection by blending in with passengers waiting for flights and bed down in the relatively warm and safe terminal for months on end.

One 30-year-old man, who gave his name as Tom, told The Argus how he spent three years sleeping at the airport before being provided accommodation at Crawley Open House.

Tom, who was stopped 22 times by Sussex Police while staying at the airport, said: "When I first got to Gatwick I managed to go a few weeks before they realised I wasn't a passenger and began to notice me.

"It was also because I kept getting caught on the trains without a ticket when I left the airport for the day.

"It's quite easy to stay anonymous if you look presentable and move around the terminals. It's not like you really want to stay there, the place is so busy and the benches are uncomfortable. I used to look for empty offices to sleep in."

Tom said he became homeless after losing his job at a stables in Oxfordshire and getting heavily into debt.

He spent time living at Heathrow before moving on to Gatwick, where he survived by buying food when he could afford it and stealing when he couldn't.

Tom's stay at Gatwick came to an end when he was given an Asbo banning him from the airport and then sent to prison for six weeks for breaching it. He was released earlier this month.

Now staying at Crawley Open House hostel, Tom is hoping to be moved into permanent accommodation within the next few weeks.

Another 32-year-old homeless man, who did not want to be named, said: "Lots of people go to Gatwick because its is warm and safe. I stayed there on and off for about a year.

"It is not something you want to do but if the alternative is to go out on the streets then it is the lesser of two evils. It's a safe haven.

"It is not a perfect situation but it is understandable."

This week homeless Anthony Delaney was locked up after making the airport his home for four years.

In scenes reminiscent of the Steven Spielberg movie The Terminal, the trained chef ate, showered and slept at the airport, only leaving occasionally to pick up his jobseeker's allowance.

A spokesman for BAA Gatwick said anyone found living in the airport is moved on.

He said: "Safety and security for all our airport users are our top priorities.

"Security staff, the police and our terminal management patrol the airport and anybody we think may be in breach of the bylaws will be spoken to and dealt with appropriately."