Housing association tenant lay dead in flat for two years

Published by Ross Macmillan for 24dash.com in Housing

A housing association tenant lay dead in his flat for two years and was only discovered after the landlord sought a court order to gain entry to check the smoke alarm, an inquest has heard.

Bruce Ross, 58, was discovered in his flat in Burton-on Trent last October when a bailiff entered the property and found his remains in the bed.

Mr Ross was found fully clothed and beneath a blanket, which had mummified the body, according to the Burton Mail.

Coroner Andrew Haigh said it was clear Mr Ross had been dead for almost two years.

No cause of death could be ascertained because it had been so long before a post-mortem examination could be carried out.

Trent & Dove Housing - which owns the flat - said there had been nothing to indicate that Mr Ross was in any way vulnerable.

The landlord, which manages more than 5,000 homes, told the Burton Mail: "While we do make regular contact with many tenants who have been identified as vulnerable, this was not the case with Mr Ross.

"Trent & Dove had received no reports of any concerns from neighbours or any other agency regarding Mr Ross. His rent account was fully up to date through housing benefit payments.

"There is no gas service to this particular group of properties and therefore no requirement to gain entry.

"The property had been visited on several occasions in the months prior to the discovery, but there were no outward signs to give cause for concern. Neighbours of Mr Ross had not raised any concerns about his well-being.

"Trent & Dove sought a court order to gain entry because there had been no response to allow access to check the smoke alarm. When we did gain entry, the flat was in reasonable condition."

The landlord said it has recently compiled a register of all those tenants that it believes to be vulnerable and will be attempting to make regular contact to check on their well-being.

It is also introducing a system of annual tenancy checks, but warned it would be unlikely that this would have helped prevent the case of Mr Ross.