The tragic deaths of two elderly neighbours have raised questions about the support they received from social services. City council reporter Iain Robinson examines whether opportunities may have been missed to save the pair from a lonely and undignified end.

THE row of four bungalows in Tomlinson Street should be a peaceful and safe environment for retired residents.

But this tiny cul-de-sac has now been struck by tragedy twice in the space of 11 months.

In January, 78-year-old Terence Whatmore was found collapsed in his council bungalow, dying from hypothermia.

He made it to hospital, but was pronounced dead hours later.

His death sparked questions about the actions of Stoke-on-Trent City Council's housing and social services departments, and why no agencies had intervened to help him.

The council made it clear at his inquest two months ago that it had offered him help, but that he had refused to co-operate.

But following the discovery on Tuesday of the remains of Mr Whatmore's neighbour, Arthur Colclough, the council is now facing renewed pressure.

Tomlinson Street residents David and Barbara Penkethman are demanding to know why their calls for help were never followed up.

The couple say they rang the city council twice in the past year to voice concerns that Mr Colclough was not able to look after himself.

Mr Penkethman, aged 68, said: "Arthur seemed to be an educated man who was very clever in many ways, but we soon began to see that he was in need of help because of the way that he was living.

"He had no electricity for at least the last three years and it got to the stage where he was continually coming around asking us to boil his kettle and cook him a meal.

"The state of his home inside was absolutely disgusting and there were flies all over the curtains. He would never put his bin bags out for collection and left them piled up in his house."

He added: "I found Terry Whatmore in his bungalow just a few months ago, and now this has happened just next door.

"I can't believe it has been allowed to happen twice in this tiny street."

His wife Barbara, aged 66, said she cannot understand why more was not done to save Mr Colclough in the wake of Mr Whatmore's death.

She said: "Last winter I was so concerned about him living there with no heating that I phoned the council and spent two hours talking to social services asking them to come out and help him.

"But they said that unless he asked for help then they had no powers to intervene because they would be invading his privacy.

"I called them again in the summer because we noticed his windows were covered in flies and we hadn't seen him for a while, so we feared he might be dead.

"The council said they would come and check on him, but we never saw anyone come to the house.

"I feel guilty because we couldn't really help him any more, but we weren't his family so there was only so much we could do.

"I think the people we asked for help should hang their heads in shame.

"How many more times has this got to happen to someone before anything will change?"

The city council is urging anyone who feels they are in need of social care to contact the authority's dedicated social care freephone number, 0800 561 0015, between 9am and 5pm, or 01782 234234 outside office hours.