A 36-year-old man was caught living in Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport for three months because he was “too scared” to go home due to COVID-19.

Unemployed Aditya Singh arrived in a Chicago on 19 October after taking a flight from LA. He is said to of survived off food given to him by other passengers. Mr Singh does not have a criminal background and has a master’s degree in hospitality. He was only caught on 16 January 2021 when two United Airlines employees approached him and asked him for ID.

The news came as a surprise to Judge Susana Ortiz who said in court: “So if I understand you correctly, you’re telling me that an unauthorised non-employee individual was allegedly living within a secure part of the O’Hare airport terminal from 19 October 2020 to 16 January 2021 and was not detected? I want to understand you correctly.”

He is being charged with felony criminal trespass to a restricted area of an airport and misdemeanour theft with his bail set at $1,000 (£738). He will also be barred from entering the airport.