A BLACKWOOD man claims the body of his neighbour, who was pronounced dead at his home last week, had been there for a month before he was found.


John Paul Murphy, who lives on Edward Street in the Fair View area of Blackwood with his partner and three children, said he called police after not seeing his 65-year-old neighbour for several weeks. The man’s body was later found by officers.


The 29-year-old, whose youngest child is not yet 12 months old, said he feared for his family’s health as the man’s house had not been cleaned until yesterday and was infested with flies, which were coming into his home.


Mr Murphy, who moved to the area in September, said: “I hadn’t seen him for a while.


“He kept himself to himself. I didn’t really know him that well but I used to see him about and in the garden. I hadn’t seen him in ages and the neighbours said they hadn’t either so I rang the police on the Saturday.”


Gwent Police went to the house on Saturday, June 6, to find a body.


“The police told me his body had been there for some time,” Mr Murphy said.


Mr Murphy complained about the impact on his family of the delay in cleaning of his late neighbour’s house: “I must be killing up to 200 blue bottle flies a day. There were maggots everywhere as well.”


A Gwent Police spokeswoman said the man’s death was being treated as unexplained so up until yesterday, when the results of the post-mortem examination came back, his house was effectively being treated as a crime scene and was not to be cleaned.


The post-mortem showed the man’s death was not suspicious and so the house was fumigated yesterday afternoon.


A Caerphilly council spokesman said: “We are aware of the issue and have been awaiting permission from the police to gain access to the property. Staff from Environmental Services will now attend.”


Gwent Coroner’s Office said they had been informed of the man’s death.