FEW people can stake a claim to achieving fame through poverty, but being 'broke' seems to have been the making of one Redditch Big Issue seller.

Vernon Burgess, who has started selling the magazine in Redditch town centre, said he has never been happier since his appearance on BBC1 documentary Skint.

The amiable 39-year-old Birmingham father-of-two, who recently became a grandfather, admits he has had a troubled history since leaving the army and suffered psychiatric problems.

But the BBC1 series, which followed the attempts of Mr Burgess and others to survive modern day poverty in Birmingham, has turned his life around.

'I feel like a mini-celebrity now. I get approached by hundreds of people who want to talk about the show and my life,' he said.

Mr Burgess, who still lives in Birmingham, decided to start selling his magazines in Redditch recently because he has friends here.