Grandfather Peter Frost has finally found a new home -- and swapped the harshness of a folded-down seat of an old car for the comfort of a warm bed.

His long ordeal, living in the decrepit old Ford Escort at a remote spot on the North York Moors, has come to an end after 18 months.

And now he's settling in with new found-friends at a house near Retford in north Nottinghamshire.

The 54-year-old was offered the chance of a proper roof over his head after the owners heard of his plight, living in the old car in woodland north of Helmsley, and took pity on him.

The Cornishman, a former construction superintendent who worked on major projects all over the world, had been reduced to the cold and lonely lifestyle after his life fell apart two years ago.

The father-of-two lost his wife, home and job in quick succession and his search for a new life took him all over the country but to no avail.

He eventually ended up in North Yorkshire where in August 2002 he parked up in the remote Forestry Commission car-park at Newgate Bank, which became his home despite local by-laws.

Although he regularly donned his suits for interviews he still failed to find a job - and was even told he too qualified for tasks like looking after pigs.

But during his long ordeal forest rangers and even the local police became his friends -- particularly after he scared off a group of youths who were trying to torch a toilet block.

However now he's left there for good, and arrived at his new East Midlands home, where he will be doing odd jobs around the house and garden.

"I'll be doing what I can there to help out and will be looking for a job from a proper base at last," he said yesterday.

"I really am very grateful to everybody for what they have done for me. I'm getting back on my feet again and that's where I really want to be."