Deaths of two women whose bodies haven’t been found ‘for some time’ not suspicious, police say

Police have said the deaths of two women at a Nottingham home, whose bodies remained undiscovered for some time, are not being treated as suspicious. Neighbors reported not seeing the women, believed to be a mother and her disabled daughter, since February or March when they were spotted at a local supermarket.

Officers found the bodies on Tuesday morning after concerns were raised about the welfare of the occupants of the property in Hartley Road, Radford. Neighbors said the older woman who lived at the house was believed to be of West African descent, while her non-verbal daughter was seen being physically supported by her mother when they went shopping.

Residents also claimed the door to the council-owned property was sometimes left unanswered for deliveries, repairs or visits from social services when the occupants were believed to have left for months at a time. A neighbour, who asked not to be named by the media, said she was shocked to be told of the deaths and feared the mother had collapsed, leaving her daughter unable to call for help.

Estimating that she had last seen the mother and daughter either in February or March, the woman said: “They keep to themselves. I only saw them when they went shopping and came back.

“I can’t give you an exact time. The daughter herself cannot do anything for herself – she is totally dependent on her mother.”

Another local said: “It’s so sad. She was a very nice woman. She was always taking care of her daughter, walking by her side.”

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Chief Inspector Ruby Burrow said: “This is a tragic case and we are currently working to understand exactly how and when these people died.

“Although our investigation remains at an early stage, we do not currently believe that what happened is suspicious. We’ve enlisted the help of a medical examiner and we’ll be in a better position to determine what happened once he completes his report. Officers will remain at the address for at least the remainder of today.”

A spokesman for Nottingham City Council said: “We were deeply saddened to hear the news and our thoughts are with the friends, family and neighbors of the two residents at this time.

“We are currently liaising closely with the police to understand the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.”