Helpers raise alarm over confused man

Passers-by came to the aid of an elderly man in Fleetwood who was found lying on a pavement in a confused state.
Maurice Murray from Fleetwood.Maurice Murray from Fleetwood.
Maurice Murray from Fleetwood.

But one of his rescuers has raised concerns about care available to the man, whom he described as vulnerable.

The pensioner was discovered in the Larkholme area of the town on Wednesday evening, with shopping bags strewn around him and his car parked erratically close by.

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Maurice Murray (pictured), a Fleetwood businessman, found the man and a passer-by lent assistance.

After establishing that the 72-year-old lived nearby, the Good Samaritans were able to take him home where they found the front door open.

However, so confused was the man, dressed only in a T-shirt and his boxer shorts, they were reluctant to leave him without some help arriving.

But despite several calls to the police, Mr Murray says he was advised to leave the man and close the front door until a ‘non-urgent’ ambulance arrived.

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Mr Murray, 55, of Wentworth Avenue, Fleetwood, said: “After one hour no one had turned up and his neighbours seemed reluctant to get involved.

“We made a final 999 call to the police and were advised to leave him as he was now safe in his own home and an ambulance had been dispatched, but as a non-emergency it could be some time. Nearly two hours after we found him, an ambulance came. If that’s care in the community I hope I never grow old.”

County Hall said it could not yet confirm the man was under Social Services care, while Lancashire Ambulance Service said non-emergency cases had to be prioritised.

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