Woman in her 80s stuck in Essex bath for three days
A woman in her 80s has been rescued after becoming stuck in her bath for about three days.
A neighbour called police when she had not seen the elderly woman for several days, and her curtains had not been opened, which was "out of character".
Essex Police forced entry to the house near Thurrock, where the distressed woman told them she had been "trapped in the bath for up to three days".
She was assessed and taken to hospital. Her condition is not known.
"The woman sadly has no nearby family or friends that are able to make regular visits to check on her," said PC Tom Matthews, who rescued her along with student police officer Tom Currin.
They were alerted by a neighbour at about 14:00 GMT on Wednesday, who said the woman was not answering her door to the postman and the curtains were still closed at the house in Aveley.
"A neighbour spotted a few minor things that were out of character and she rightly called for help," PC Matthews said.
"When we arrived we could tell that something was wrong, and we had no option to force entry to the property in order to help the woman, who was quickly assessed and taken to hospital."
Praising the elderly woman's neighbour, he said this was "an example [of] why it's essential to check on your elderly and vulnerable neighbours".