Listen to the news

An 87-year-old woman who kept her warm "for fear of expensive bills" has died after hypothermia.

Barbara Bolton has ignored her family's pleas to turn on the heating in her house in Bury, Manchester, reports SkyNews, quoted by BTA.

Medics found Ms Bolton's body temperature was just 28°C, compared to the normal 36.6°C.

She was discovered by her grandson in December 2022, slumped on her kitchen table, unable to speak.

She was taken to hospital in Bury, but died on January 5 of pneumonia caused by hypothermia.

"She was clearly focused on worrying about turning on her heating regardless of who was telling her what," senior coroner Joan Kearsley explained to Mrs Bolton's son Mark Bolton.

The inquest found that hospital notes recorded that Mrs Bolton deliberately did not turn on her heating "for fear of high energy bills". 

In a statement read to the court, Mr Bolton said he spoke to his mother every day and visited her often.

He added that the family even bought her heaters, but she only turned them on when the family was visiting.

The son described how his mother had given up working as a pharmacy assistant at the age of 82, and medical evidence presented to the court showed that she had hardly ever seen a GP during her life.

Police officers rescued a father and child from frostbite

The son added that his mother was of the "old school" and added: "It was her way or no one else's way - that's the way it was with my mother."

He explained that he has worked as a mountain rescuer and knows how dangerous hypothermia can be.

Recording the accident report, the coroner said: "The woman looked remarkable and worked until she was 82 years old."

Hypothermia is a dangerous medical condition that occurs when the body temperature falls below 35°C.

Great Britain

died of frostbite