East Riding of Yorkshire Council destroyed the belongings of an elderly tenant who went missing after banning his family from entering his flat.
Robert Bracegirdle, 75, disappeared from his home in Goole in 2020 after struggling with mental health issues.
A coroner later ruled that he had died by drowning in the River Ouse after a police search failed to locate him.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council prevented Mr Bracegirdle’s family from accessing his flat but promised to store his possessions until he was officially declared dead.
However, the family learnt two years later at the inquest that the contents of his flat had been disposed of.
A statement from the council said the local authority ‘regrets’ that its actions caused distress, adding that ‘matters should have been dealt in a more sympathetic way.’
‘In response to the concerns that the family members have raised, we have changed our processes to ensure that similar cases are managed in a more sensitive way.
‘This case is currently being dealt with by our insurers so we cannot comment in more detail at this time.’
