"Horrific stench": Women's body found in Peckham flat after neighbors complain of foul smell for 2 years 

The body of a deceased 61-year-old has been found in a Peckham flat in South London. The deceased's neighbors were complaining about a foul stench in the building for the last 2 years before police finally decided to investigate the matter.

The name of the deceased has not yet been disclosed. However, according to the neighbors, she was missing for the last two years, and her mail box had piled up with letters.

Police are treating the death as unexplained but not suspicious, with a file being prepared by the coroner.

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Police believed the woman had moved away from Peckham during the pandemic

Neighbors explained that they had first noticed a bad smell in the building around September or October 2019 after returning from a trip. They recalled saying,

"It’s disgusting. I’m just shocked. I didn’t know her very well but she would sometimes collect my deliveries. I came back from a trip abroad in September or October 2019 when I noticed a horrific stench in the building. It was so bad, I had to put a towel under the door."

They continued to complain about the smell to the housing association and police were called, who believed that the woman had moved away from the place during the pandemic, like many other London residents.

They added,

"We repeatedly called the housing association because it was weird. The police came but they said lots of people had moved out of London during the pandemic and she could be abroad."

More complaints were made after the smell did not disappear for two years. Moreover, the woman's mailbox was flooded with letters, and neighbors noticed that she had not been paying her rent.

Additionally, a bicycle had been stationed at her front door in the Peckham apartment.

Police broke through the door to check the apartment and found the deceased's rotten body. Scotland Yard explained,

“At 7.01pm on Friday, February 18, police were called to a flat in St Mary’s Road, Peckham. Concerns had been raised about the welfare of a woman who lived at the address. Officers attended and forced entry. The body of a 61-year-old woman who was deceased was found inside."

After a neighbor confirmed the woman's identity, the police admitted that the body had been reduced to bones when they found her remains on February 18.