A homeless man who ran out into a New Malden street on fire before collapsing in front of people died after his cigarette set fire to his sleeping bag as he slept.
Colin Edwards, 51, originally from Surbiton, was found outside empty office building Clear House in Kingston Road, with 50 per cent burns to his upper body. He had fallen asleep in a nearby car park after lighting a cigarette in the early hours of Friday, March 6 this year, the inquest into his death at West London Coroner’s Court heard yesterday.
Lighter fluid had spilled onto his clothes sparking the fire that spread to his body as he desperately tried to roll over and extinguish the flames, the inquest heard. He died of his injuries on Monday, March 9 at a specialist burns unit in Broomfield Hospital in Essex.
Mr Edwards was known to members of St Peter’s Church in Norbiton, and had previously stayed at the YMCA in Surbiton. At the time of his death friends claimed that Mr Edwards’ mental health problems were ignored by the authorities and that “no one wanted to help him”.
In April Kingston Council and South West London and St George’s Mental Health Trust, which runs Tolworth Hospital, launched an investigation into the death. Friends claimed at the time Mr Edwards was let down by authorities, prompting a council investigation The inquest concluded Mr Edwards died an accidental death.
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