Death of bipolar man in fire ruled as accident

A coroner has ruled that the death of a man from Bristol who set his apartment alight was an accident. Bob Crane, who was 61, had a long history of mental health problems.

He died in his flat in Kingsdown in September 2014. The whole building was evacuated as the fire spread through the apartment block in central Bristol. It took moments for the smoke to kill Mr Crane.

Mr Crane suffered from bipolar disorder and hoarded things in his flat. The fire service was repeatedly called to him setting things alight - on the balcony. The inquest into his death heard his mental health had affected his life for years but the Coroner did not criticise the authorities.

His son Alex Crane is dismayed by this and feels his father was let down by the agencies involved.

The Coroner had the option of criticising Bristol City Council and mental health services but he said that after five days of hearing evidence, he was not persuaded to do so. He recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Mike Hennessey from Bristol City Council says lessons have been learned.

A serious case review published this week into Mr Crane's death found failings and made six recommendations.

A spokesperson from Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust has given this statement following the verdict.