Neighbours have spoken after a man was found dead in his home - six years after he died. Robert Alton, 76, was found in his flat on March 9 and was only discovered after his landlord got a court order to enter the property and check the gas supply.
It is a tragic story which has highlighted the stark position many elderly find themselves in, alone and with no-one caring enough to check. An inquest concluded he probably died in 2017 and Bolton at Home housing association chief executive officer Noel Sharpe said in a statement: “It’s completely unacceptable to us that something like this has happened.”
When police finally entered his home, post was piled up at the door. In the living room, a newspaper dated 2017 was found, along with a television guide dated May 4 of that year.
Now people living in his street have spoken and wondered how this could happen in a normal area. Local councillor Linda Thomas told the Manchester Evening News: “It’s devastating to think of someone dying like that alone.
“It’s heartbreaking to think of someone in that situation. Isolation is such a terrible thing. In this day and age it’s unbelievable that someone could die like this without anyone noticing. It just goes to show the importance of checking in your neighbours, just to make sure they’re okay.”
Mr Alton was described as well-spoken . One neighbour said: “I spoke to him once or twice, just to say hello to. He was a nice gentleman.
“He’d only lived here for a few years and then I didn’t see him and thought he’d moved out. It’s been so long since he died. A lot of people have moved in and out of those flats.”
Another person said: “It’s not the kind of place where you know your neighbours. You say hello and that’s it. I’ve lived here since the 1970s and to be honest, I don’t know any of the neighbours.”
Another added: “It’s not the kind of place people speak to each other. I know my neighbours on either side and that’s it. It’s terrible, so sad.”
The pensioner’s rent was being paid direct through housing benefits. Following the inquest, Bolton at Home apologised for ‘missed opportunities’ to find out why Mr Alton wasn’t responding to attempts to contact him. Chief executive officer Noel Sharpe said in a statement ‘it’s completely unacceptable to us that something like this has happened’ - and admitted the organisation should have done more to check on Mr Alton’s welfare.
Mrs Sharpe said Bolton at Home ‘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 the ‘reason’ Mr Alton’s death wasn’t discovered sooner was ‘[their] previous procedure, while meeting legal requirements, wasn’t strong enough to prevent something like this happening’.
She said the policy was changed in July 2022 so legal warrants would always be sought to obtain access to tenants’ homes where they cannot be contacted to check gas supplies. It was that change that led to Mr Alton’s body being discovered, the inquest heard.
In the statement, Mrs Sharpe said Bolton at Home missed opportunities in spotting something was wrong and ‘didn’t go far enough’ to investigate why he couldn’t be contacted.
