General Chat

THE BODY of an elderly woman has been discovered at a Bournemouth flat, SIX YEARS after she is believed to have died.

On Tuesday the “mummified” body of a woman in her 70s was found inside a ground-floor flat in Tolpuddle Gardens in Throop. .

Anne Leitrim, in her 70s, hadn’t been seen since 2008. She was only found after the money in her bank account ran out and bailiffs went to her home to collect months of mortgage arrears. They got in through one of two windows which were ajar at the flat throughout the six years, and discovered “soft-spoken and friendly” Anne’s remains.

Neighbours were horrified when they found out. The flat looked empty and Anne’s car had disappeared and they thought she had moved away.

John Stanley, 55, said: “We used to have garden parties right outside her flat, and we joked that there could be a body inside. It’s absolutely tragic.”

Ruth Evans, 59, who has lived in the building for six years, said: “It makes me feel guilty. You think of all the times we were out in the garden and she was just lying there.” Debbie Small, who has been in the street for two years, added: “It’s really sad. It’s a really friendly street and we all know each other..”

Anne’s body was found in her studio flat, one of a block of eight in Bournemouth on the English south coast.

The local coroner said a postmortem would be carried out but it was highly unlikely to reveal a cause of death.

It’s understood officials have been in touch with Anne’s next of kin but the body has yet to be formally identified.

What a sad and shocking case.

Taken from; www.dailyrecord.co.uk

FW

That is tragic, how terribly terribly sad.

I find this bit far from believable....
Debbie Small, who has been in the street for two years, added: “It’s really sad. It’s a really friendly street and we all know each other..”

And "officials have been in touch with her next of kin" Where have they been for the last six years, not checking on this lady methinks.

its very sad that no one thinks to check up on folks who live on their own

Even if the neighbours thought she had moved cos her car had gone one would wonder why the flat hadnt been sold or new tenants surely.

My dads sister Caroline lived in Sterling Scotland in a complex of flats that housed older folks . She was very hard of hearing so when I phoned her I would hang on for some time for her to answer . She joked at one time dont worry if I pop my clogs I will let you know!!

Well she did pass away in her own bed and laid there for a week . she would have milk delivered every third day so it was only the milkman delivering milk to see she hadnt taken in the the last delivery that rang alarm bells.

The police broke in to find she had passed away and an autopsy found she had been dead for at least a week .

Very sad but at least she was found and was able to be put to rest. Sorting out her assets though was a bigger headache cos she didnt leave a will and Scottish law can be different to English one

It does not surprise me when you look at the way, governments of all persuasions, have cut funding for services to the elderly & infirm, in particular the current government.

I live in a warden covered local authority sheltered housing scheme, up until the start of last financial year in April 2013 the warden checked every tenant was OK via the alarm/intercom system and if the warden did not see you about for a couple of days they would be banging on your door.

Since April 2013 the calls via the alarm/intercom system have stopped and I am lucky if I see the warden from one week to the next, or anybody else for that matter.

We are told if we have a problem to pull one of the alarm pull cords that are in each room in everyone's flat, fine, but what happens if you fall and cannot reach one of the pull cords?

I live alone and have mobility & heart problems, I am also an insulin dependent diabetic, not many things scare me, but one thing that really scares me is - the thought of falling or passing out and not being able to reach a pull cord to get help.

If this governments savage cuts to service for the old and infirm continue - I fear we will see more cases like that of this old lady :-|

R.I.P. Anne Leitrim - what happened to you should never have happened :-(

I read this with horror.Not to have anyone miss her, poor woman!
We have old neighbours who live alone and always look out for them,going for their shopping, it's something we do (and soo easy when you have a car).

OFTG you should request a Care Call alarm, from NHS, the cord & button is worn around the neck and is with you where ever you are.
We got one for Dad when he was out in his garden, in case he took poorly and needed help in any way. It was a comfort to him and our family.

There are also different alarms to buy on-line, would give you peace of mind.

Who has been usiing all her money then?

OFTG do get one of those alarms - and always wear it! My MiL asked for one as a Christmas present but I used to see it on the hall table or elsewhere - and I kept saying "what good is that if you fall downstairs"? Hers was integrated with a telephone system and she did use that.

Phyll that was my question
but im thinking that maybe most things was payed for by direct debit

but im also wondering how no one could smell the body when she first died
30 years ago i lived in a flat and the man at the end of me died in his flat
i dident no he died until the lady next door told me thet he was there on his kitchen floor dead for a week.
yes there was a really bad smell on the landing and the lady next door told me that's how she new he had died

we had a dead mice under the curbed last year
and the smell from a tiny little thing like that was bad
so i can not see how eny one can miss the smell of a dead body

AND WHO TOOK HER CAR???

so another question, her pension, was it paid in by D/D or in a book?

surely, if the latter why did no one notice it hadn't been collected?

or is that another jobsworths job?

And she was still paying a mortgage in her seventies?

It's very sad, poor woman :-(

The car could have been sold prior to her death.

Pensions are paid into the bank until they are informed of their death and not everyone is able to pay off a mortgage until they are into their sixties.......us included.

Edit.....Utility bills on direct debit will keep being taken even when well in credit as will council tax etc.

Why try to pick holes in the opening post ...............I don't get it :-S

I will still be paying off the mortgage into my 70s, assuming I last that long, and manage to keep paying it.

I'm not surprised ( though obviously saddened) that no one noticed, I have several elderly friends without family. It would only take an oversight by the volunteers who do shopping for example to leave that person entirely forgotten.

I'm not surprised either Sirius............just sad that once upon a time this lady was probably loved and cared for yet died alone and was missed by no-one.

I wonder how many relatives will suddenly appear to stake a claim on the proceeds of the sale of her home :-(

at least now that she has been discovered the poor lady can be laid to rest

R.I.P Anne Leitrim <3 <3

Not picking holes just thought if someone was there to take the car Why they didn't look in to see she was ok .

R.I.P Ann

Sorry Tracey, I see what you mean now.

:-)

wounder if the car was stolen

Or repossessed for non-payments?
Or towed away for not being taxed?

Any number of reasons I suppose, but the point is, how come nobody at all noticed she wasn't around? These next of kin folk, I'm curious to know where they fit in??.