Body of man discovered after lying in flat for six years

The body of a man, aged 70, was discovered in his flat six years later, highlighting issues of loneliness and neglect.

Robert Alton, a retired bookkeeper, is believed to have lain dead in his flat for six years and was only found when housing officials forced entry to carry out a gas test.

He is thought to have died aged 70 in May 2017, but the horrific discovery of his ‘skeletal’ remains wasn’t made until this year, an inquest heard yesterday.

A court order to enter Mr Alton’s address in Bolton was obtained by landlord Bolton at Home for the visit on March 9th. Officials forced entry and used an angle grinder to cut a security chain.

As reported in The Daily Mail, once inside, unopened letters were piled around 50cm high and Mr Alton’s remains were found at the top of the stairs of his first floor flat, in jeans and a grey jumper.

Police were called to the property.

Detective Sergeant Dominic Beaver of Greater Manchester Police said neighbours hadn’t seen anybody at the flat for at least five years.

Inside the ‘neat’ property, police found a television guide for May 4th, 2017, open with reading glasses left on one of the pages. Food items were also found to have 2017 expiry dates.

The detective added there were no suspicious circumstances. The inquest heard Mr Alton last spoke to Bolton at Home in April 2017, and council tax had been paid up to that year but was then in arrears. He last contacted his GP in 2014.

His rent was still being paid up to the time of his discovery, via housing benefit. Mr Alton was identified through personal items but no relatives have been traced.

Dr Patrick Waugh, pathologist, said it was ‘not possible to determine a cause of death’.

Coroner Peter Sigee said: “On the balance of probabilities Mr Alton died in May 2017. I’m satisfied the appropriate conclusion is an open conclusion.”

Mr Alton’s landlord revealed its visit only came after a change in procedure prompted officials to obtain an access order in court.

The inquest was told that over previous years, officials made 15 visits plus telephone calls and sent dozens of letters seeking to arrange a gas test, all without response – but no further action took place.

After the hearing, Noel Sharpe, chief executive of landlord of Bolton At Home, said: “We offer our heartfelt condolences to Robert’s loved ones, friends and neighbours and apologise to them for the opportunities we missed in finding out why we couldn’t contact Robert.

“In hindsight, we should have spotted sooner that something was potentially wrong.”

An inquest heard that officials visited Mr Alton’s home on two occasions in June 2017 to perform an annual gas safety test. But they obtained no answer at the property and his supply was simply capped without further investigation.

The procedural change which led to Mr Alton’s discovery was not made until 2022.

Amid the cost-of-living crisis, Bolton at Home decided to stop automatically capping gas supplies if tenants had not allowed a safety test, and there was a review of homes where supplies were previously capped.

In light of the incident, Bolton At Home says it now applies for an access warrant immediately when it cannot contact a tenant about a gas test. Its tenant support team also works ‘more closely’ with the gas safety team ‘where there may be welfare concerns’.