An elderly couple tragically died in a house fire in Addiscombe after a panic alarm call failed to alert emergency services in time due to a crucial oversight in their care package.
Smoke Alarm Not Heard by Operator
Bernard and Caroline Cleall, both in their 70s, lost their lives in a blaze at their detached home on Windermere Road on the evening of 5 January 2022. An inquest heard that although Mrs Cleall activated her wearable alarm pendant, the operator did not hear the smoke alarm sounding in the background during the call.
The fire service was only alerted after Careline responders arrived on scene, by which point it was too late to save the couple, Assistant Coroner Ivor Collett stated. The inquest, concluded in April, gave the cause of death as inhalation of smoke.
Inquest Findings and Systemic Failures
The coroner raised serious concerns over the lack of enhanced alarm equipment, noting that Mrs Cleall had not been issued a smoke detector linked to her call system. Such a device would have automatically alerted the control room and triggered an emergency response from London Fire Brigade without requiring her to press the pendant.
Coroner Collett noted in his Prevention of Future Deaths report that no clear documentation existed regarding the assessment process that determined what type of alarm package Mrs Cleall received upon discharge from hospital.
Furthermore, he criticised a communication gap between Croydon Hospital and Croydon social care services, highlighting that social workers could not access hospital assessment records—thereby hampering post-discharge care planning.
Emergency Response Timeline
- 8:08 PM: London Fire Brigade received the emergency call.
- 8:59 PM: The blaze was brought under control by four engines and 25 firefighters.
- Post-incident: Police remained on site, and the home was cordoned off.
Community Shock and Tributes
Neighbours described the Clealls as a “sweet couple” often seen tending their garden with their dogs. One local resident shared:
“They were kind and quiet. It’s tragic what happened. You just wouldn’t expect something like this on your doorstep.”
Another added:
“They always had fairy lights on, and you could tell they had lived there for many years. It’s very sad.”
Calls for Change
The coroner’s report has prompted renewed scrutiny of care alarm assessments, urging local authorities and health trusts to ensure automated smoke detection is standard for vulnerable patients. The lack of such provision in this case is now being examined as part of system-wide reviews across adult social care in Croydon.
