'Suicide rope was left hanging in my new flat' (From This Is Local London)

'Suicide rope was left hanging in my new flat', says mentally ill man

7:30am Thursday 19th February 2009 in News Exclusive By Eleanor Harding

A mentally ill man has been left severely traumatised after he was convinced a rope hanging from the rafters of his new Tooting flat was the same one used to kill a man months earlier.

The flat, in Trinity Road, was the scene of a suicide in November.

However, Wandle Housing Association had not bothered to move the rope or clean the property, the man’s mother has claimed.

Wandle Housing Association denies the rope, hanging from the loft, was the same one used in the death of its previous tenant.

However the woman says her 31-year-old son, who has schizophrenia, was so horrified at what he saw he has not been able to sleep since.

The woman said: “This place was filthy, and then he saw the rope. It was hanging through the trap door. The man downstairs told him what had happened there.

“He won’t talk about it now, he’s so upset.”

The dead man was John Power, 53, who hanged himself after suffering from bipolar affective disorder, also known as manic depression.

The Wandsworth Guardian reported on his inquest in January, when it was revealed he was being treated at Springfield Hospital at the time and had not turned up for appointments.

The new tenant, who is too vulnerable to be identified, discovered the rope when Wandle staff showed him around this month, his mother said.

She added that when they confronted staff about the rope, they claimed it was there for “another purpose”.

They also refused to cancel the tenancy and demanded he fill out the relevant housing benefit forms - even though they knew he was a vulnerable client.

“They were desperate to get their money for the month,” she said on Friday.

A spokeswoman for Wandle Housing said the rope was there from remedial work carried out after the death.

They added: "The property at Trinity Road was completely cleared after the former tenancy ended in November 2008, including the loft.

“Any items left behind after that remedial work were not in any way connected to the previous tenant of the property.

"The person who was offered the property initially accepted the offer, but then changed his mind five days after he was due to move in.

"He was aware of the circumstances regarding the previous tenant when he signed the agreement.

“We can confirm that we have waived the normal one month’s notice in relation to that property, because of the unusual circumstances, and he will not be liable for any rent whatsoever."

Jane Harris, head of campaigns for mental health charity Rethink said: “To be shown around a home and see evidence of a suicide would be distressing for anyone.

“However, due to the rate of suicide amongst people with schizophrenia or with any mental health problems this could be particularly traumatic.

“As one in 100 people have schizophrenia, housing associations have a duty to ensure that their needs are met and that they are not exposed to traumatic experiences that could set back recovery."