The Best Place To Hide... Indeed.

Body lay under sofa for 10 years in shared Bristol flat

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/bristol/somerset/8633012.stm
20th April 2010, BBC News Website

A vulnerable resident with learning problems named Alan Derrick concealed the body of Dennis Pring back in 1998. The two were friends and when mr. Pring turned homeless mr. Derrick offered him to stay in his apartment. When he suddenly died, mr. Derrick was afraid that he would be evicted and hid the body. After complaints about a smell his apartment was checked but the warden thought that an overflowing toilet was the cause. In 2008 mr. Derrick relocated and Pring´s body was discovered by council cleaning staff. No criminal charges were submitted towards mr. Derrick. The city council promised to check the accommodations better in future.

It appears to be a fictional story. I could hardly believe that a body lay inside a sheltered accommodation for such a long time! However, the concealer was a true hermit with limited capabilities. He was a loner so he did not have many friends, or no friends at all. I find it humoristic that the warden did not notice the body rotting beside her underneath the sofa. Though I do not think mr. Derrick should be prosecuted. He did not know how to cope with this extreme situation because he is a limited person. The city council of Bristol should indeed improve their policy on this field.