Not a single visitor in 18 years for quiet OAP who died alone

Published on Saturday 4 July 2009 11:20

INVESTIGATIONS are continuing today after the body of an elderly woman lay undiscovered in her city flat for up to five years.

The tragic case of Isabella Purves, who lived on Rodney Street, Canonmills, was exclusively revealed by the Edinburgh Evening News yesterday.

Since then several neighbours have spoken of their shock and sadness at hearing that the "independent" and "quiet" pensioner, who would have been 90 this year, had died.

Police have launched an appeal for the next of kin or friends to come forward to help with their investigations.

Yesterday shocked neighbours told how they had never seen anyone visit the pensioner.

Cleo Gifford, 34, who lived opposite Ms Purves, said: "In all the 18 years we lived there, Ms Purves never had one visitor. It was a wee shame."

Sandra Brownlee and Giovanni Cilia, 59, who own a florist's shop next door, added that they never saw her with another person during her daily walk that took her past the shop.

A 44-year-old postman who delivered letters to Ms Purves' residence for 12 years told the News he had only ever seen her once.

The discovery was made by police after a neighbour reported water dripping through the ceiling from her flat above to the council.

The death is not being treated as suspicious and a report of the incident has been sent to the procurator fiscal.

Police today said no relations had been discovered.

It is thought that the body went undiscovered for so long because many of the flats in the four-storey tenement building often go unoccupied for months on end. Reports suggest they are mainly leased out to the elderly or students.

It is believed that the bank was not notified of any account inactivity because Ms Purves' pension was entering the account and only minimal utility bills were outgoing. She did not own a phone.

A 3ft pile of post on the floor of the residence included several newspapers and utility letters, including one from Scottish Gas. The company confirmed that Ms Purves had an account with them, but it had been closed in 2004 and had been inactive since.

Local councillor Tim McKay said he was upset at the find.

He said: "I don't know how much contact she had with her neighbours, but you would hope that someone would have checked on her. I can understand why the other residents are shocked. It is a really sad story."

Nick Waugh, of Age Concern and Help the Aged in Scotland, said it was a worrying incident.

He said: "There is, unfortunately, a chance that this sort of discovery will become more common as the population ages.

"More and more adults are living by themselves and this will translate into an ever greater proportion of older people living alone in the next few decades.

"We can't always rely on older people being in contact with a health or social care agency either. Many older people are perfectly fit and healthy and will not be receiving any care."