Council issues statement and launches review after pensioner's body found in his flat six years after he died
A council has launched a review to 'identify any potential missed opportunities to act sooner' after a pensioner lay dead in his flat for six years before his skeletal remains were found. The tragic case of Robert Alton, a 70-year-old retired bookmaker, was revealed after an inquest into his death concluded this week.
It's understood the pensioner's rent was being paid through housing benefits, but the council confirmed he had run up council tax arrears since 2017. In a statement, Bolton at Home Chief Executive Officer Noel Sharpe said the organisation 'made many attempts' to contact him 'over a number of years' to arrange gas safety checks, but the inquest heard there was no response from him.
She said: "On 9 March 2023 we learned of the death of our tenant Robert Alton after his body was discovered at his home in Hemsworth Road, Bolton. The subsequent police and coroner’s investigation has concluded Robert’s death was not suspicious and that he likely died in May 2017. "We’d made Robert’s home gas safe in June 2017 by turning off the gas supply externally after we were unable to contact him to arrange the annual gas safety check.
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