AN INVESTIGATION has begun into why police failed to tell a man his dad had died -- even though his phone number was in the dead man's wallet.

Harry Slinger passed away while tending his wife's grave at Immanuel Church cemetery, New Lane, Oswaldtwistle.

But his family only discovered what had happened when friends approached his sister, Jean, on Accrington Market, to pass on their condolences.

Mr Slinger's son, Philip, of Malvern Avenue, Infirmary, Blackburn, said his phone number with his name written next to it was kept in his dad's wallet -- but police failed to inform him.

Insp Steve Haworth, of Blackburn Police, said the incident was "unfortunate" and added: "An investigation is under way following a complaint."

Mr Slinger was found slumped next to wife Florence's grave on Thursday morning. A grave digger alerted police, who arranged for his body to be taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

Officers kept his wallet and house keys to ensure that his home in Trinity Street, Oswaldtwistle, was secure.

Philip, 47, who is unemployed, said: "The first I heard about it was when my aunt rang on Friday to say people on Accrington Market had said how sorry they were about my dad's death.

"We rang Blackburn Royal Infirmary and they confirmed he had been brought in. Word got round in Oswaldtwistle on Thursday about what had happened to my dad, because he was well-known.

"But to find out our dad had died from gossip on the market is awful."

After having the news of his dad's death confirmed, Mr Slinger went to Accrington Police Station on Saturday to pick up the wallet.

He said: "My phone number was in there. No one tried to contact me and I'm on the electoral role as well. They'd been to dad's house to make sure it was secure and my details are there too.

"They've been into the wallet to count the money to get me to sign for it, but they never contacted me.

"The infirmary is two streets away from me and my dad lay on a slab there for 24 hours before we knew. By the time we found out, it was too late to get him moved to a funeral home until after the weekend. He had to lay in a mortuary for the whole weekend rather than be somewhere nicer.

"If we hadn't heard gossip, we still probably wouldn't know he had died."

Philip's daughter, Joanne Allen, 25, of Sandon Street, Bank Top, Blackburn, added: "It's a horrible way to find out. It could have been weeks before we'd been told"

It is believed Mr Slinger died of a heart attack. The 75-year-old had tended his wife's grave regularly since she died 16 years ago.