Eccentric man dies in tunnel labyrinth

A man whose home was so full of rubbish that he had to build an intricate network of tunnels to get around may have died after losing his way in the labyrinth.

Investigators believe Gordon Stewart, 74, died as a result of dehydration, after becoming unable to find his way out of the mass of carrier bags, boxes, old furniture and other junk.

Police had to call in a specialist diving team because the smell from the house, Broughton, Buckinghamshire, was so overpowering.



Neighbours had become concerned that they had not seen Mr Stewart for several days and raised the alarm. According to witnesses, the officers were faced with mounds of foul-smelling garbage which he had used to construct tunnels around his home.

The smell was so over-powering police had to call in a specialist team - equipped with breathing apparatus - to search the two-storey house. They discovered a confusing system of tunnels networking around the interior of the building, with Mr Stewart lying dead inside.

Locals say Mr Stewart, who wore a pony-tail, was often spotted riding his bike around the streets. One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: "He was slightly eccentric, but very clever. He was just a collector. He came home with a load of cardboard boxes and lived in his own world." A second described his death as a "tragedy". Neighbours said Mr Stewart's home had been accumulating rubbish for at least 10 years.