A housing association has apologised for “missed opportunities” after the body of a man was discovered after laying dead for six years.
Robert Alton was found dead inside his flat on Hemsworth Road in Bolton on 9 March 2023, but the coroner ruled that he was believed to have died in 2017 at aged 70.
The “skeletal” remains of the retired bookkeeper laid undiscovered inside the flat for six years, and were only found after officials from housing association, Bolton at Home, forced entry to the property in order to carry out a gas safety check, an inquest heard.
Officials who found Alton’s body also discovered a half-metre high pile of unopened post, food with expiration dates in 2017, and a pair of reading glasses placed on a TV guide dated 4 May 2017.
Upon the discovery of his body, a police investigation was subsequently carried out, but ended by confirming there were no suspicious circumstances – with coroner, Peter Sigee, ruling at an inquest last week that the “appropriate conclusion is an open conclusion”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Now, Bolton at Home, has issued a statement to apologise for the “opportunities we missed” and offer “heartfelt condolences”.
Housing association apologises after man’s body is discovered in Bolton flat after six years / Credit: Google Maps
Noel Sharpe, Group Chief Executive Officer at Bolton at Home says everyone at the housing association has been left “deeply shocked” by the incident, and realises it will “concern and upset people” to learn that Alton’s body remained undiscovered for such a long time.
ADVERTISEMENT
Mr Sharpe admitted that it’s “completely unacceptable” that something like this has happened, and assures that it’s taken action to “reduce the risk of it happening again”.
“The reason we didn’t discover Robert’s death for so long is because our previous procedure, while meeting legal requirements, wasn’t strong enough to prevent something like this happening,” Mr Sharpe admitted in his statement.
“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, and following this, we made many attempts to contact Robert over a number of years to arrange gas safety checks.
ADVERTISEMENT
“[But] it’s clear that the action taken by us to understand why we couldn’t contact him didn’t go far enough, and opportunities were missed in spotting that something was potentially wrong.
“We should have done more to check on Robert’s welfare.”
Bolton at Home has issued a statement on its “missed opportunities” / Credit: Google Maps
Bolton at Home changed its procedure in July 2022, and now claims to immediately begin the process of seeking access to someone’s home via a warrant in instances where it can’t cannot contact them to arrange a gas safety check.
The housing association says it offers its “heartfelt condolences” to Alton’s loved ones, friends and neighbours.
It also apologises for the opportunities it missed in finding out why it couldn’t get in contact with him.
Featured Image – Google Maps
News
Arrest made after 14-year-old boy found in critical condition on Market Street
Daisy Jackson
An arrest has been made after a teenage boy was found unresponsive on Market Street in Manchester city centre.
Detectives believe that the boy, 14, was approached by seven males who stole a designer jacket from him.
Following the altercation, he went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
Thankfully, the teenager is continuing to recover well.
Detectives from Manchester City Centre Criminal Investigation Department confirmed that an 18-year-old male was arrested yesterday, Thursday 20 February.
He has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and remains in police custody.
Detective Inspector Mark Astbury of GMP’s City Centre Criminal Investigation Department, said: “We hope the victim can continue his recovery following what must have been a terrifying ordeal for him.
“Officers are fully investigating all aspects of this shocking incident that has left a man with serious injuries in hospital.
“Our work doesn’t stop here, we are continuing to investigate this incident and information from the public plays an incredibly important role in our investigations and I ask that the community keep talking to us and keep sharing their concerns with us so our teams can act.”
If you have any information, contact GMP 101 or 0161 856 4305 quoting log 2854 of 16/2/25.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials
Emily Sergeant
Trials are currently underway to see if comedy could be an alternative to antidepressants as a way to reduce NHS costs.
UK tech company Craic Health has secured important funding for its ‘comedy on prescription’ project that’s aimed at helping the Government work with the comedy industry, communities, and organisations on comedy-based social prescriptions in the hope that they can solve financial struggles within the NHS.
The groundbreaking scheme uses stand-up shows and workshops to help people who are isolated, lonely, and vulnerable.
Craic believes comedy is an ‘untapped opportunity’ to improve health and wellbeing, and has a goal to make comedy easier to access, so that it can help communities experience its mental health and social benefits.
To achieve this, the company has started trialling Comedy-on-Prescription experiences in the UK – starting in London, with the potential for expansion – which includes things like curated comedy panel game show events and workshops, and general stand-up comedy shows at some of the capital’s world-famous venues.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“Mental health issues like loneliness, isolation, and stress are more common than ever,” the company explains.
“So much so that it’s projected that by 2030, mental health problems, particularly depression, will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally, [but] in this challenging world, comedy stands out as a universal language that breaks barriers.
“Research shows that comedy and laughter have powerful effects – they bring people together, create positive connections, and make life more enjoyable.”
Craic Health says that social prescribing, of which Comedy-on-Prescription is a part of, is all about inclusivity, which makes it making it suitable for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
Its focus is on personalised support, tailored to individual needs and preferences.
Emily Sergeant -
15th May 2023 
