Neighbour died and home has not been cleaned since

[Frogponder]

Our elderly next door neighbour who lived alone died last month.

We and other neighbours noticed we hadn’t seen him about and his lights were on all night so we called the police who sent in a paramedic who found him. They took the body and told us he’d died a week earlier, which was shocking and sad.

Since then nobody seems to have been into the property, and we’re getting worried about rotting food, flies, rodents etc.

Another neighbour has written to the council and put a letter through the letterbox for the Executor (hoping there is one).

That neighbour is now suggesting we could all go in and just clear out the rotting food ourselves as the back door is unlocked.

Though this would be the quickest way to prevent a possible pest problem my instinct is that we should not go in, it would be trespassing (and unpleasant) and should be dealt with by the council. But the council may not deal with it quickly as they are over-stretched.

Any advice?

Because I don't think an interfering bunch of busybodies should go into some else's house or involve the police? How odd of you.

How do you know the back door is unlocked?

I’m surprised that none of you nor the neighbours have a key given you’ve known him two decades and he was very aged and you helped him and was involved multiple times

The old fellow may not have wanted any of his neighbours to have a key.

Yep, he might have thought they were dodgy fuckers who would take the opportunity to nose through his stuff.

Or, conversely, he might have had complete contempt for the "no such thing as community/no concern of mine if my neighbour has a problem" lot and just left his back door unlocked so people could get in if there was an emergency. We just don't know.