Man lived with dead friend for a decade

A man in the UK lived with the corpse of his dead friend rotting under a couch for ten years after council officials failed to spot the body on two separate visits.

Alan Derrick, who has learning difficulties, feared he would be evicted from his council unit when it was discovered his friend had died there, the Sun reports.

Mr Derrick tipped his couch on its side and covered the body with cushions where it was left to rot for a decade.

The 74-year-old continued to live with the corpse and even took meals in the same room.

Repeated calls to officials from neighbours about the odour coming from the unit were investigated on two occasions but inspectors failed to spot the body amongst a knee-deep collection of litter, plastic bags and newspapers.

An inspector attributed the stench of the rotting body to a toilet that smelt "horrendous".

The fully-clothed skeleton of Mr Pring, who died aged 63, was discovered in 2008 when Mr Derrick was evicted from the flat.

An inquest was told Mr Pring had begun drinking heavily after his wife died and he became estranged from his son.

Mr Derrick took pity on his friend and allowed him to sleep on his couch.

When he returned home one day to find Mr Pring had passed away, he went back to the pub and continued as if nothing had happened.

Detective Superintendent David Paniccia-Brown told the inquest: "They would go to the pub in the morning, return at lunchtime, go to sleep, wake up and then go to the pub or stay in the flat drinking cider."

"One day before going to the pub Derrick shook Mr Pring, got no response, went out to the pub as per his normal routine, returned home and tipped the sofa over on to its side."

"The reason he didn't tell anyone was because he knew he wasn't supposed to have lodgers and he would be evicted and have nowhere to live."

"He was quite embarrassed and tearful."