Overview

• Minda Thompson reported maggots on July 22, alerted Newcastle City Council on July 25, and Northumbria Police removed a neighbour’s body from a nearby stairwell on July 29.
• Photographs taken on September 1 showed flies still present on carpets and windowsills inside her Heaton flat.
• The council says pest control treated the deceased resident’s property and that neither home was judged uninhabitable or a health-and-safety risk.
• Officials say they cannot clear the deceased neighbour’s flat before coroner processes conclude; an August 15 visit recorded dead flies only and a further inspection was requested.
• Thompson, who has mobility and health conditions, reports hotel stays and disposal costs totalling about £900; the council says such costs fall outside policy and advises an insurance claim if negligence is alleged.