A homeless man has become a Twitter sensation after racking up more than 20,000 followers while giving his account of life on the streets of Paris.

Christian Page has used the social network to call out authorities for their actions against the homeless and says tweeting gives him the "feeling of existing".

The 45-year-old was head waiter at a restaurant in the capital's affluent Madeleine district and had served former Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, before becoming homeless.

Mr Page handed in his notice after a divorce tipped him into depression and he could "no longer smile at people anymore".

He became homeless in April 2015 when he was evicted, unable to pay rent while living off 545 euros (£485) a month in benefits.


Salut à tous 🙋



Rue de Meaux 75019

Grilles d'air chaud ou parfois se posaient les #SDF. Sauf que maintenant voilà 😠😠😠#soyonshumains @Abbe_Pierre



Sinon venez cet aprèm' à 15h M° Varennes avec le DAL... Histoire de se faire entendre 💪 @federationdal



Joyeux Noël 😘😘😘 pic.twitter.com/DRSAMBmQzb — Page (@Pagechris75) December 25, 2017

On Christmas Day last year, he tweeted a photo of metal barriers installed around air vents in the city, which are often used by homeless people to keep warm.

The post, which flagged the street name and mentioned housing organisations, prompted local authorities to remove the barriers after it was shared more than 2,000 times.

Mr Page, who has kept a phone contract with internet access, uses an old smartphone with a cracked screen to tweet.

"In the morning, I get a 'Hello Christian', and in the evening a 'Goodnight'. It sounds silly but these little messages move me," he told AFP.

"I'm glad if my messages find an audience. It might mean a sandwich for a homeless person at the other end of France."

Image: Mr Page is optimistic about the future

Mr Page added: "Twitter is not a weapon, but it's powerful."

Over the festive period, he was left the keys to a Paris apartment after a benefactor said he was away for the holidays.

Mr Page also receives donations of clothes and shoes, which he shares with others.

Given his recent good fortune, he is positive about getting off the streets.

He said: "Anything can happen. With my current run of luck, I should play the lottery!"