Grieving family of poet denied entry to council flat to retrieve his work

The family of a council housing tenant who recently died fear losing his life's work because bureaucracy has barred them from entering his flat.

- Anna Tims

Glen Hutchinson, a performance poet, was found dead in his home in August but Cambridge city council has refused to allow his two daughters to access the property until they have been granted probate.

Probate proves entitlement to administer the estate of someone who has died and is required if the deceased had significant assets. Applications take up to 16 weeks to process but the family has been informed the property will be cleared by the council within a month if they cannot produce the paperwork.

“We have a key but the door's now boarded up,” said Ailsa Mackenzie, one of Hutchinson's daughters. “Because we can't go in and retrieve bank statements and utility bills, we're unable to close his accounts and notify authorities. My father survived on benefits, and his estate consists entirely of personal effects which are precious to us but of no value to anyone else.”