Dear Madam, just a short note to say you died

A woman recovering from major surgery returned from a doctor's appointment to find a letter telling her she was dead.

Julia Warnes had suffered complications following a hysterectomy last year which left her seriously ill. She required an operation on a twisted bowel.

After an appointment for a blood test, she came home to find the letter from Sutton and East Surrey Water.

Addressed to the household, it explained that her direct debit had been cancelled due to her death and advised the family to contact the company to find out how this would affect water charges.

Luckily Mrs Warnes, a 46-year-old mother-of-two, saw the funny side. She said: "It was very ironic after everything I've been through. I thought 'Am I? Well you'd think the doctor would have told me'.