Father phoned his daughter to ask her what she'd like for Christmas... only to be told she had died five weeks before

A heartbroken father has spoken of how he rang his daughter to find out what she wanted for Christmas only to discover she had died.

Ian Innes contacted his daughter Cheryl after returning from holiday but was told by her partner that she had been dead for five weeks.

Cheryl, 42, had Down's Syndrome and lived with her partner of four years, Glynn Bull, in Lytham, Lancashire.

She died on October 18 of natural causes relating to her diabetes.

But because of a fault on her phone, Mr Bull was unable to access her phone directory and so was unable to contact Mr Innes to tell him what had happened.

Mr Innes, 61, said: 'Normally Cheryl contacts us to let us know what she wants for her birthday and Christmas. When she hadn’t called I phoned her and her partner said she had died five weeks ago.'

Mr Bull had told police where he thought Mr Innes lived but searches were unsuccessful.

Mr Innes, of Longridge, said: 'It was such an absolute shock. Glynn was very upset and kept telling me he did the best he could but he wasn’t able to save her. 

'I’d seen her before I went away and she seemed fine and chirpy. At least she was asleep and she still thinks she’s asleep. It’s our only comfort that she didn’t suffer.'

Mr Bull, 52, said: 'That day she was up and about as normal to take her tablets and her insulin but she told me she was tired and wanted to go back to bed. 

'She told me to wake her up for her programmes. When I went to wake her up, she was gone.'

Mr Bull immediately rang for an ambulance and a 999 operator talked him through CPR.

He said: 'I looked after Cheryl - I put my heart and soul into looking after her. She was my friend and she was my life. She always made me smile.'

Mr Innes said his daughter was a popular woman who enjoyed her independence. 

He said: 'Glynn loved her to bits and they were going to last forever.'

Mr Innes said he was disappointed that no-one was able to contact him to tell him the news.

He said: 'If I hadn’t rung her it could have been Christmas before I went round.

'Someone would have to say she wasn’t here any more, and that’s horrendous.'

Coroner's officer PC Ken Lord says he did everything he could to try to contact Miss Innes’ family, including searching the electoral register, contacting GPs and checking at hospitals.