Council 'unjust' over flat clearance

The council was recommended to review its procedures

A council has been criticised by the Local Government Ombudsman for the way it disposed of a tenant's possessions after his death.

The dead man's father claimed Bristol City Council cleared his son's flat and destroyed possessions without authorisation.

On Wednesday the ombudsman told the council to pay £500 to the man's father.

The father said he and his family were denied a chance to obtain personal mementoes.

He told the ombudsman he had suffered "considerable distress" after his son's belongings were dumped.

Ombudsman Jerry White said the council had been "unjust" in dealing with the man's items.

Decomposing body

A report described how the man's decomposing body was found in the hallway of his one-bedroom flat on 17 May last year.

It said police put the death down to a drugs overdose and the man had been dead for about a week before being found by police and housing officers.

Officers who cleared the flat said they believed the council had acted properly.

They considered the potential risk to anyone entering the flat, which contained syringes and blood, outweighed any other considerations.

The council was also recommended to apologise to the complainant and acknowledge its fault.