A 63-year-old former chef and restaurant owner is living in a car in Northfleet while he struggles to convince the council to help him find a home.

Snaebjorn Snaebjornsson ran the Man of Kent pub in Wrotham Road, Gravesend, until he and his partner were evicted in January after falling behind on the rent, something they blame on declining business due to proposals to convert the building into flats.

The father-of-two suffered a heart attack the day before the eviction and, after staying with various friends for a few weeks, ended up living in his partner’s Ford Ka in a car park.

During February and March’s freezing temperatures he slept in his clothes, inside a sleeping bag, covered in a duvet, in the tiny car but that wasn’t enough to keep out the cold.

He said: “I went to the doctor because I felt so bad. I get maybe two hours’ sleep a night.

"It’s very cold. The thing I miss most is a shower.”

Mr Snaebjornsson appealed to Gravesham council, first for a house and then, because he is over 60, for a place within a sheltered housing scheme.

However, a disagreement between him and council staff has led to a delay in him being assessed.

The council claimed he wanted to move his partner and two of her children in as well but he denied that.

"It's very cold... the thing I miss most is a shower" - Snaebjorn Snaebjornsson

The stress of losing the pub, which he and his partner had both put all their savings into, took its toll on their relationship.

Although they have now reconciled they say they are not ready to live together again.

Icelandic citizen Mr Snaebjornsson, who was born in Colombia, South America, and is known to friends as Mario, moved to England from the Nordic island nation more than 20 years ago after splitting from the mother of his children.

The experienced chef, who lived in numerous countries before moving to Iceland and speaks seven languages, worked in restaurants in London’s Covent Garden, and elsewhere in the capital, before opening his own eateries serving Colombian cuisine.

He then moved onto pubs and, after running a few in London, he took over the Man of Kent in October 2015.

He continued: “When I split with my ex-wife I wanted to get away but I decided to live in the nearest country to Iceland.

"England was only a two-hour flight away. I still love this country, there is no question about that, believe me. But I feel so isolated.

"The system works for some people. I know if I had a base I could get my life moving again.”

Mr Snaebjornsson said he will be forever grateful to volunteers at Gravesend Methodist Church and Community Centre, where he slept in the winter shelter for some of the colder nights, showered, washed his clothes and ate breakfast and dinner.

He also thanked homeless charity Porchlight and day centre House of Mercy.

A Gravesham council spokesman said: “Mr Snaebjornsson approached the council in January 2017 and had a Housing Options and then a homeless assessment, which included a medical assessment.

"He was deemed to have no priority need. This decision was made in accordance with statutory provisions and a formal notification letter was issued to Mr Snaebjornsson advising him of our decision.

"Mr Snaebjornsson did not put in a review request against the decision.

“The council, therefore, has no duty to provide him accommodation.

“Mr Snaebjornsson then approached the council’s Sheltered Housing team to be assessed on February 22.

"On March 27, after two appointments, the assessment was closed following his disclosure that he wanted his partner and her two children to be considered for sheltered housing.

"Mr Snaebjornsson was also informed of this outcome on March 27.”

After being contacted by the Gravesend and Dartford Messenger on Tuesday, the council promised to offer Mr Snaebjornsson an appointment today.

A planning application to turn the Man of Kent into seven flats has been approved but the pub opened under new management shortly after Mr Snaebjornsson was evicted and a new landlady has signed a four-year lease.