THE EXISTENCE of a safety net for pensioners who live in poverty has been called into question after a chance encounter led to the discovery of an elderly Widnes man living in absolute squalor.

Runcorn woman Pat Baker was returning home after a visit to the dentist when she spotted two mangy and neglected dogs on the street.

She followed them to a house in West Bank, and knocked on the door to have a word with the owner, a 73-year-old man.

What she saw inside his house amazed her: "There was food with flies coming out of it; the fleas were just hopping all over the place. It was disgusting," said Pat, a research nurse at Fazakerley.

It transpired that the man, a widower, had been living like this for a long time.

He told her that he has children living in Runcorn, but his house was still a picture of absolute neglect.

Pat went along with a friend to catch the dogs and bring them for treatment - they are still at her home now recovering.

"I went up to see him on Sunday. I was concerned and took him some barbecued stuff down.

"People are living like that and they could be dead and nobody would know. He shouldn't be living like that."

"He told me he goes out to the pub every night, and I can't say I blame him."

Halton Council social services said they were unable to comment.

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