Neighbour's horror find

Pensioners Alan and Edith Haworth told of their shock and distress after discovering how their neighbour Freda Milnes was living and called for something to be done.

Yesterday the couple's son David found Miss Milnes, who is about 60, collapsed in the garden of her home in Rosetti Avenue, Burnley.

Mrs Haworth, who was called to help her back into the house, said: "I have never seen anything like it. It looked like someone had got a rubbish bag and just turned it upside down.

"There were meals on wheels trays stacked up and some dated back to January. The post was piled up behind the door and had never even been opened.

"My son went into the kitchen and said the cooker was all black and looked as if there had been a fire and there were mouldy pans, maggots and blue bottles." They called in the police and emergency doctor, who advised Miss Milnes

be taken to Burnley General Hospital, but at 3am today Mr and Mrs Haworth were awakened by ambulancemen asking for the key because Miss Milnes had discharged herself and wanted to go back home.

The couple have lived in Rosetti Avenue for 11 years but they said they had seen little over the years of Miss Milnes. who had been looking after her parents until their deaths.

Mrs Haworth said they had spoken to social workers who told them Miss Milnes had been regularly visited but refused offers of help.

Mrs Haworth said: "I just keep saying there must be something they can do. Someone must be able to help."

A spokeswoman for Lancashire county social services said: "We are aware of this case and we are undertaking appropriate action and seeking help from health colleagues to try to resolve the situation."

Burnley Council's central area housing team are also investigating the condition of the house.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.