BBC commentator reveals heartbreak at mother’s death

A BBC football commentator has spoken of his heartbreak after his mother was found at her home seven weeks after she died.

Ian Stringer’s mother Christine Davies, 55, had struggled with alcoholism before her body was discovered at her home in Lincoln in June last year.

An inquest was told she had not been seen for five to seven weeks before she was found and a pathologist was unable to find a cause of death.

Mr Stringer, who was given an award for his commentary on Leicester City FC, said his family had ‘tried and tried’ with his mother and advised others dealing with alcoholics to ‘offer help and wait’.

Footballer commentator Ian Stringer has spoken of his sadness at the circumstances of his mother’s death. He is pictured as a child with his mother, Christine Davies

The BBC football commentator urged others dealing with people with alcoholism to 'offer help and wait', following his own family's attempts to help his mother

The BBC football commentator urged others dealing with people with alcoholism to ‘offer help and wait’, following his own family’s attempts to help his mother

The coroner heard Ms Davies had been living in a housing association property called Doughty Court in Lincoln since 2014.

Two months before she was found dead, she had been admitted to hospital having fallen and hit her head while drunk.

Neighbours did not see her for more than a month before she died and called the police on June 21 last year.

Speaking after the hearing, Mr Stringer told Lincolnshire Live: ‘My mum was incredible. She doted on all three of us, when she wasn’t involved with alcohol.

‘She introduced me to football and now its my passion and part of my career as a sports journalist.

‘It just hurts as now we’ll never know how she died and we’ll never get that closure. She was left there for seven weeks as nobody knocked on her door.’

He tweeted this message shortly after an inquest found her cause of death was 'ascertained'

He tweeted this message shortly after an inquest found her cause of death was ‘ascertained’

He questioned whether her housing association, the Longhurst Group, could have done more to check on her.

He added: ‘Even though my mum didn’t live in supported living, I still think that Longhurst had a duty of care

‘Some people might ask why we didn’t check on her but we had tried and tried with our mum for many years.

‘I just hope that she knew that we all loved her. We’ll never know how she died – it could have been anything.

‘You don’t realise how precious life is. Make sure you get time to say everything you want to before it’s too late.’

He later tweeted: ‘Tough day. If you know somebody who is suffering as an alcoholic, please offer help & wait. I hope they accept your offer. I did my best Mam, I promise.’

He thanked charity Relate Leicestershire for their help.

Coroner Richard Marshall ruled the cause of dead was unascertained.

The inquest was held at the Lincoln Cathedral Centre following Ms Davies's death in June

The inquest was held at the Lincoln Cathedral Centre following Ms Davies’s death in June

Concluding the hearing, Mr Marshall said: ‘It’s a sad story… Unfortunately the pathologist was unable to find a cause of death and we don’t know ultimately what it was.’

Jennifer Coaxworth, neighbourhood officer at Longhurst Group, had told the hearing: ‘During her tenancy I had little contact with her.

‘Someone in her block said that they had not seen Mrs Davies for a while and another neighbour had said they hadn’t seen her for around seven weeks.

‘I rang her but got no response and left her a message and asked her to call me. I then called the police as we were concerned and they asked me to check with her next of kin, which was listed as a support worker at her old place of residence.

‘When my calls confirmed that nobody had seen her I went back to the police and they then came out.’

 



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