Warning: This article contains details that some readers may find upsetting
Laura Winham had tragically died at home and remained undiscovered for almost three years, and was only discovered after police carried out a welfare check.
41-year-old Ms Winham was found 'mummified and almost skeletal' in the horrifying discovery by officers, and her family have hit out at social services saying she was 'let down' and allowed to slip through the cracks.
Police attended her Surrey flat on 24 May 2021, after her concerned family had contacted authorities.
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She wrote heartbreaking diary entries where she confessed she was 'starving' and 'dreaming' about food.
An excerpt from her diary, written in October 2017, read: "It has been a whole month since my last food shop. I cannot believe I have survived this long."
Another, from 15 September 2017, sadly read: "Wish I’d bought rice. Dreaming of (food). Anyway, I’m starving."
Police found her fridge only contained 'a tub of margarine and tomato sauce' and only 'a mixture of herbs, spices, salt and vinegar' in the cupboards.
An inquest at Surrey Coroner's Court ruled the cause of death was 'unascertained' and it was impossible to pinpoint when she had died.
A calendar in her flat had dates crossed off until 1 November, 2017, but it is suspected she had died at least three years before she was found.
Police had been contacted in October 2017 but they did not visit her, and instead she was sent a letter by the council's adult social care team.
The family's solicitor, Iftikhar Manzoor, read out a joint statement, saying: "When Laura was referred to adult social care in October 2017, as the police raised concerns as to her having little food or money and being without a network of friends or family, all that happened was a letter that was sent and that was a huge opportunity missed to assess Laura’s health and to take action.
"Laura was clearly a person potentially at risk but she wasn’t deemed worthy of visiting. She was left to fend herself.
"Even her own diary entries illustrate she was unable to cope. Had adult social care visited Laura’s home within a few days of the referral in October 2017 then Laura would be alive."
He continued: "Her family did everything in their power to support her as she battled her mental health struggles until it became apparent that she may harm herself unless they backed away.
"They believed Laura would be in the best possible hands when handing her into the care of professionals - people with much more knowledge and understanding of supporting those with serious mental health issues."
Ms Winham's family had last seen her in person in 2009, and had last spoken to her on social media in 2014.
Sadly, she had sent a message to them asking for 'minimum/no contact' from them due to her mental health.
The family drove past her flat regularly to check her car was still there, and insisted they did the right thing by giving her the space she asked for.
Ms Winham's sister Nicola told the inquest that her mother and brother had tried to check on her: "They were shouting her name and looking through the letterbox. My brother saw what he thought was a seriously decomposed body.
"They called the police and forced entry. Inside they found a mummified and almost skeletal body. Both of them saw this and the shock can never be forgotten."
The executive director of adults, wellbeing and health partnerships at Surrey County Council, Claire Edgar, apologised that Ms Winham didn't receive 'the support she needed' in this 'terribly sad case', and stressed that the 'service has worked hard to act on learning from this case'.
It was also acknowledged that she should have been flagged as a vulnerable person to receive extra support.
LADbible has contacted Surrey County Council for comment.
If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.
Topics: UK News, Mental Health
Jen Thomas