Gordon Hewitt, a penny-pinching eccentric who used to read his paper in his car to save electricity, has left behind a ￡250,000 fortune after a lifetime of scrimping.

To a casual observer Mr Hewitt, who died 14 months ago, may have appeared virtually destitute in his trademark duffel coat, ill-fitting trousers and canvas pumps, as he sold newspapers on the streets.

But in reality twice-married Mr Hewitt, who lived in the same house all his life, had a quarter-of-a-million pounds located in at least 20 savings and investment schemes, which he has left to six different people.

Former neighbours of Mr Hewitt's in Huddersfield, West Yorks., told how he used to save money by reading the paper in his Reliant Robin so he didn't have to turn on the light in his house, and wore his clothes wet rather than using his tumble dryer.

They recalled his obsessive approach to saving money - including never putting the heating on, eating for free at churches and relying on the same duffel coat for years.

Friend and neighbour Jean Buckley, 68, remembered his obsessively thrifty ways which even included him helping out at a soup kitchen just for the free soup and calling into churches for the warmth.

"He used to sit in his Reliant Robin reading a newspaper with the light on so he didn't have to turn the light on in the house. He was just a character.

"He'd do anything to get warm, walk miles to find somewhere warm to sit even walking through the rain in his pumps to find somewhere.

"I think he enjoyed saving the money. It gave him power to have that much in the bank," said mum-of-two Jean.

Neighbour David Cheeseman, 68, said: "I have known him for over 50 years and he was always eccentric and comical in his manner. I told him many times to look after himself and install central heating in his house. He just laughed.

"He wouldn't spend a penny if he had to. He went to every different church to sit in the warm, have a cup of tea or meal. He knew where to go.

"He wouldn't put the heat on in his house. When the police found him he was in his chair dead with his overcoat. I asked if the fire was on and they said no, I didn't think it would have been.

"He had a dryer in his house but used to wash his clothes and put them on wet. He said it cost money to use the dryer."

In an odd twist to Mr Hewitt's tale, six ladies benefited from his will and at least three of them barely knew him.

(Read by Emily Cheng. Emily Cheng is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)