The discovery of a pensioner’s body who died six years ago has left a community shaken, with many questioning how such a tragedy could occur in the 21st century.
The skeletal remains of Robert Julius Alton were found by police in his small, one-bed flat in March this year. It is understood that the pensioner, believed to be 70, passed away more than half a decade before.
Upon entering the property on Hemsworth Road, Bolton, officers were met with a huge pile of letters at the door. In the living room, a newspaper dated 2017 was discovered alongside a television guide dated May 4 of that year. Milk that expired in 2017 was still sitting in the fridge.
According to Manchester Evening News, neighbours say they rarely saw Mr Alton and knew very little about him. So when, sometime in early 2017, they stopped seeing him on his occasional walks out, they assumed he had moved away.
However, the heartbreaking truth was uncovered when housing officials forced their way into the home to carry out a gas test. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, councillor Linda Thomas said: “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.”
A neighbour of Mr Alton commented: “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 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.”
Police have confirmed there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding Mr Alton’s death. On March 24, Bolton police launched a public appeal to help trace his family, however no relatives have been traced.
An inquest held in Bolton this week heard Mr Alton last spoke to his landlord, Bolton at Home, in April 2017. He last contacted his GP three years before, in 2014.
His council tax was in arrears, however his rent was still being covered through housing benefit. Coroner Peter Sigee recorded an open verdict and found Mr Alton likely died in May 2017.
Coroners were unable to determine a medical cause – or precise date – of death.
Following the inquest, Bolton at Home apologised for ‘missed opportunities’ to investigate why Mr Alton had failed to respond 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 that more should have been done by the organisation to check on Mr Alton.
Mrs Sharpe said Bolton at Home ‘made many attempts’ to contact him ‘over a number of years’ to arrange gas safety checks, but he never got back to them. 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, which meant 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 ‘didn’t go far enough’ to investigate why he couldn’t be contacted.
She added: “I would like to 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 him.”
“Today (Friday) Bolton council announced a review would take place to ‘identify any potential missed opportunities to act sooner’.”
A council spokesperson changes could be made in the wake of the case.
“This is a tragic case which has had a profound impact on the whole Bolton community,” they said in a statement. “We are currently reviewing Mr Alton’s account to identify any potential missed opportunities to act sooner.
“Pending the outcome of this review, appropriate additional measures will be put in place with a view to preventing similar tragic cases in the future.”
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