Vulnerable Lancaster dad died on train tracks as family ask police ‘why is there no record of looking for him?’

The family of a dad with early Alzheimer’s who died after ‘ambling’ along a train track have called for more information from police who were tasked with searching for him when they reported him as potentially being in danger.

Andy Fuller had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s when he began suffering from memory problems at the age of 58. His cognitive function continued to deteriorate but he managed to life a full and happy life and enjoyed spending time with his two daughters and grandchildren.

Andy, a retired quantity surveyor, had gone missing on several occasions during the last year and police in Lancaster had told his family to immediately call 999 if he disappeared. His wife Susan had also installed a tracker on his phone to allow her to locate him if he went missing.

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On the morning of January 17 of this year Andy, 65, told his wife he was going to the local dementia café in Lancaster. When he still hadn’t returned at 1.30pm Andy’s daughter tracked his phone and discovered he was near Leicester and “heading rapidly south” which his family worked out meant he was on a train.

They immediately called 999 and told police of Andy’s location. He arrived at Euston in London where he spent 20 minutes before getting on a train back up north. Andy then got off the train near to Wolverton where, at 3.25pm, freight train driver Pierre Winter spotted him ambling along the tracks seconds before hitting him at a speed of around 70mph.

At an inquest held this week at Preston Coroner’s Court, Andy’s family voiced concerns that their regular and specific updates to police didn’t appear to have been utilised. Fatalities investigator Dilwyn Lewis, from British Transport Police, was unable to give any information about any search for Andy at Euston or to confirm if any staff on the trains were informed he was onboard.