Appeal to help Scottish man found ‘sleeping rough’ in Cambodia

An online appeal has been launched to trace friends and family of a man from Scotland found sleeping rough in south-east Asia.

Tourists encountered a homeless man in Siem Reap, Cambodia, who gave his name as Gary Mereno and his birthplace as Glasgow.

Robbie Tarran, from Aberdeen, was visiting the town with his girlfriend when he came across the Scot, who is unable to walk.

“He was in urgent need of help as he is clearly very sick and needs treatment for Parkinson’s but nobody in Siem Reap will treat him,” he told STV.

“He has no passport and the embassy is a six-hour bus journey away so he is stuck.He told us he had no family but as he is only 44 I don’t think that can be possible.

“Even if he had no family he must have people who knew him before he left Glasgow. But the main thing is his health. There is no safety net for the worst off here. Nothing at all.”

The Foreign Office has said it cannot help until a family member is found.

Mr Tarran posted a picture of the man, who says he was born in Glasgow in 1973, on Facebook in an appeal to find anyone who knows him.

He wrote: “We were walking through Siem Reap today in Cambodia and came across a Scottish man who needs help.

“He told us that his name is Gary Mereno, he lived in Glasgow, and was born 17th April 1973.

“He’s been sleeping on the streets for two years and has no money, no shoes and can barely walk due to an accident. He wouldn’t say what happened but his legs are cut and infected.”