Laurence Dollimore
THE bodies of a retired British couple have been discovered inside their home on the Costa Blanca.
The 82-year-old man and 74-year-old woman were found dead at the property, situated in the expat haven of San Fulgencio (pictured above), at around 1pm on Thursday.
Sources close to the investigation told Spanish newspaper Informacion that the pair were ‘extremely vulnerable’ and had no family ties in the area.
They were heavily dependent on local social services, which were provided by San Fulgencio town hall, as well as the Red Cross.
It is feared the couple may have been dead for a few days before they were found by care workers, who had come to check up on them but became alarmed when no one answered the door.
One carer looked through a window and saw one of their bodies lying on the floor, sparking an immediate call to the 112 emergency hotline.
The Guardia Civil and firefighters forced entry into the home at around 3.30pm and confirmed there were two dead bodies inside.
The authorities said they may have been dead for a few days given the state of decomposition.
An investigation is now underway to determine what happened in the run up to the couple’s death.
The cause of their deaths are also yet to be determined, with autopsy results pending.
The British couple were part of a programme managed by the Red Cross called the Municipal Comprehensive Emergency Response System.
The scheme is designed to avoid situations just like this, by working to prevent loneliness and dependency among the large numbers of retired expats in the area.
Both Brits are said to have suffered from chronic diseases and mobility problems, made all the worse by a recent fall suffered by the husband.
San Fulgencio is hugely popular for British expats and retirees. Around 66% of its population are foreign residents.
