AN ex-serviceman who suffers from chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been homeless for two years because Wiltshire Council says he is not a priority, he claims.

Daniel Johnson, 30, received a rosette award and Operational Service Medal in 2007 for serving as a battlefield ambulance driver in Afghanistan in 2006, picking up wounded soldiers and corpses and taking them to Camp Bastion.

But having left the army in 2011 and being diagnosed with chronic PTSD in February last year, he now sleeps in woodland areas and stays on his friends’ sofas, desperately trying to secure permanent accommodation.

Mr Johnson, who was born in Hull, said: “When I first approached Wiltshire Council they said they would assist me in finding accommodation but I’m still homeless two years on with no support.

“They tell me that because I can ‘present well’ I’m not a priority, but that’s not true because of my PTSD, which is getting worse the longer I’m homeless.

“I served in Afghanistan at the most fierce period and saw some truly horrific things which will stay with me forever.

“Even speaking to people and getting on trains can sometimes be impossible for me. I get regular flashbacks and often see images of body parts - it’s terrifying.”

From 2008 – 2011, after returning from Afghanistan, Mr Johnson worked as an air dispatcher for the 47 Air Despatch Squadron at Lyneham’s MoD base and wants to stay in Trowbridge as he has a three-year-old son named Noah who lives in Southwick.

He has been in and out of employment for the past five years but cannot hold down a job for a long period due to his mental condition.

The Armed Forces Covenant, which states that Britain’s war veterans should take priority when it comes to affordable housing, was introduced in 2012 and adopted by Wiltshire Council but Mr Johnson says it is not working.

He receives help for his mental condition from Help for Heroes but claims Wiltshire Council does not understand the seriousness of it.

Baroness Jane Scott, leader of the council, said: "If any veteran or veteran’s charity considers that they haven’t been listened to, or had the best service from Wiltshire Council, I apologise and urge them to get in touch again so that this can be discussed further.

“We have been in regular contact with Mr Johnson and are working hard to resolve his situation. We are pursuing a number of options to try and secure alternative accommodation.

“Wiltshire is a very proud military county and we will shortly be signing the Armed Forces Covenant in recognition of our long-standing support for the military and its veterans.

“We already abide by the terms of the Covenant, which clearly states that members of the Armed Forces community should have better access to housing and not be disadvantaged by their requirement for mobility whilst in service.

“We are committed to offering accommodation to veterans who are homeless, or may be threatened with homelessness in the near future.”

MP Dr Andrew Murrison said the government has taken 'considerable strides in improving the lives of veterans and their families' after they return from conflict but more needs to be done to address the problem.