A HEARTBROKEN sister who found her dying brother covered in maggots said she hopes lessons will be learned following his death.

A Coroner yesterday ruled that Peter Thomas Mitchell, 64, died of natural causes.

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But Carole Mitchell said more could have been done to save her from the horror of finding her brother in a state 'which Steven King couldn't write'.

Blackburn Coroner's Court heard how Mr Mitchell was found by Mrs Mitchell and her daughter Jordyn slumped in his chair on August 12, last year.

Mrs Mitchell had made a call to the police twice requesting for a welfare check to be carried out, one the previous day and another that day, but none were done.

That forced Mrs Mitchell, who has arachnoiditis - a debilitating spinal condition, to travel to the former soldier's home in Major Street, Accrington, to check on him herself.

Mrs Mitchell wept as she recalled finding her brother covered in maggots and unable to move.

She said her brother had said he had had a fall, crawled into his chair and was unable to move. Having been in the chair since July 22, the electricity and gas, which were run on top-up cards, had gone out and Mrs Mitchell said her brother had been sat in the cold and dark for some time.

When asked by Coroner Michael Singleton why her brother had not tried to get to the front door and ask for help, Mrs Mitchell said he was scared and untrusting having been attacked by a gang of youths in the past.

After being discovered, Mr Mitchell was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital where he was initially treated in the resuscitation department and given intravenous antibiotics.

Dr Harry Tucker told the inquest Mr Michell had low blood pressure, malnourishment, an 8x5cm gash on his right leg which was 'full of maggots' and various ulcers. He died two days later.

Dr Richard Prescott said chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and ischemic heart disease had already started before the fall, meaning that Mr Mitchell was already dying before the fall.

The cause of death was ruled to be bronchial pneumonia, with selulitis in the leg deemed to be a contributory factor.

When asked whether an earlier welfare check could have saved Mr Mitchell's life Dr Prescott said: "I'm not saying the outcome would have been he was alive, but it would have been better. He was very ill when he arrived in hospital. The chances of survival were very slim."

Mr Singleton there was not enough evidence to suggest neglect by the police or self neglect had a contributory factor in Mr Mitchell's death and recorded a verdict of natural causes.

Speaking after the hearing, Mrs Mitchell said: "I hope lessons will be learnt from what happened to Peter. I don't want anyone to have to go through what we went through."

A spokesman for the Independent Police Complaints Commission confirmed that an investigation in to Mrs Mitchell's calls for welfare checks had been concluded.

He said: "The IPCC is considering the force's response to the report's conclusions and will publish its findings in due course."

Mr Mitchell, a former soldier in the Royal Corps of Signals, had most recently worked at Express Gifts in Clayton-le-Moors.