POLICE answering a missing person call forced entry into a home in Croft to find a man ‘severely decomposed’ in a wheelchair.

The inquest into the sad death of Paul Critchley was heard at Cheshire Coroner’s Court on Wednesday.

It was heard that police officers attended the man’s home address at Kingsmead Court on March 18, 2023.

“They attended a call for a missing person after several neighbours had knocked on the address and there was no answer,” a representative of the coroner’s court explained.

“The house was in clear disarray, had a foul smell and flies were circling.”

A police officer did a thorough search of the home until they sadly discovered the body of the man ‘severely decomposed’ in a wheelchair.

The ambulance service was called along with CSI which was ‘due to the level of decomposition’.

“There were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death,” area coroner of Cheshire Jacqueline Devonish stated.

Ms Devonish said that Mr Critchley was born in Greater Manchester and was a retired truck driver.

“He was found deceased on March 18, 2024. I shall record that the cause of death was severe decomposition.”

Concluding the hearing, Ms Devonish extended her sincere condolences to Mr Critchley’s family.