TUCKED away on page 24 of Metro this morning was the sad story of a recluse whose corpse lay undiscovered for two years in the bed of his terraced home.
The 70-year old, former soldier died in his sleep back in 2006 and no one raised the alarm because he was an 'incredibly private man' according to neighbours in the Lancashire town.
Prying = nosy or caring?
One elderly neighbour was quoted as saying: “I think it was about three years ago when I last saw him out on his bike”! Apparently Brian Dean had ‘changed’ on his return from Germany, where he served in the Army in the 1970s.
Local councillor Paul Gott was unsure what to do when first concerns were raised saying: “..because you don’t want to pry into people’s lives..” But doesn’t a healthy dose of prying mean you care?
Natter with your neighbours
When did community die? In the post ‘Smile you live in London’, I mention that many people find London a lonely place to be single but now I don’t think it’s only London.
It would seem that people keep themselves to themselves from London all the way to Lancashire!
I think a national newspaper should start a campaign ~ “Natter with your Neighbours!” Although we don’t know Brian Dean, I can’t help thinking that a friendly chat could have made his life so less lonely.
Posted in Observations, Today's News |