What we know as three found dead at Swanage care home
A 60-year-old woman has been released after being arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.
A 60-year-old woman who was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the deaths of three residents at a Dorset care home has been released under investigation.
Dorset Police confirmed the arrest of the woman on Wednesday night, with investigations into the incident focusing on carbon monoxide poisoning as a factor in the deaths of the residents.
Two men, aged 74 and 91, and an 86-year-old woman died and seven people were taken to hospital following the incident at Gainsborough Care Home in Ulwell Road, Swanage, on Wednesday morning.
On Thursday, residents spoke of their shock at the "devastating" incident and the impact on the local community.
Here's what we know – and what we don't know – about the incident so far.
What we know
The deaths are being treated as unexplained and detectives are still exploring possible carbon monoxide poisoning as the primary line of inquiry. There is no wider risk to the community, the force said.
A 60-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of manslaughter has since been released under investigation.
The arrest was made to enable the force to establish whether there were any actions or omissions that are believed to be grossly negligent, and inquiries will continue into this, the force added.
We know that three people died – two men, aged 74 and 91, and an 86-year-old woman. Seven others were taken to hospital after the incident.
The force initially described the incident as "unexplained”, but Dorset Police's Superintendent Heather Dixey later confirmed at a press conference the force considered potential carbon monoxide poisoning its “primary line of inquiry”.
Detective Chief Inspector Neil Third said a large investigation would be taking place at the property over the coming days and said local people could expect to see numerous different organisations present in the area.
Katie Lobban, a spokesperson for Southern Gas Network, confirmed their engineers were sent to complete safety checks in the building.
The incident took place in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with South Western Ambulance Service saying in a statement that they were called at 5.20am.
Gainsborough Care Home said they had allocated “extra staffing resources” to provide support following the incident. Some care home residents were said to have been moved to a nearby church.
A spokesperson said they were "deeply saddened" by the deaths and they were fully cooperating with the investigation. They said they had working with local authorities to move their residents to other care homes until "we are advised that they can return to the home."
They thanked their care teams for their work and said they were grateful for the practical support they had received from local organisations. They added; "The home has long been a core part of the Swanage community, and our residents, families and team members are all affected by this tragic incident and are touched by the support received.”
The care home, run by Agincare, has 48 residents, all elderly and some with dementia.
The care home had its last full inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in 2019 when it was rated as requiring improvement for safety and being well-led over concerns that unsecured furniture could be dangerous.
Following a focused inspection in October 2021, the inspectors upgraded the care home for both of these categories to good.
In its report published the following month, the CQC stated: “People told us they felt safe living at Gainsborough Care Home.
“Two people confirmed, ‘I feel safe as there is always someone around’ and ‘I feel very safe at this home.’
“Relatives also expressed confidence their family members were kept safe. Comments included, ‘We are sure [name] is safe,’ and ‘They are very safety conscious’.”
South Dorset MP Lloyd Hatton told BBC Radio 5 Live: “It will certainly be hitting the whole community hard. Swanage is a small tight-knit seaside town and I know people will be devastated by the news three people have sadly passed away."
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Councillor Gary Suttle called the incident a “tragic event”.
In a statement on X, the Diocese of Salisbury said it “prays for the residents and staff“ of the care home.
Neighbours react to ‘devastating’ incident
Janet White, 84, a retired magistrate who lives near the care home, said the incident was “devastating”.
She said: “It is all very shocking and the fact that someone may be responsible in any way is difficult to comprehend. It’s been very upsetting for people around here. The care home has links throughout the community.
“In my own case, my husband was cared for at home by Agincare and I have nothing but praise for them.”
George Manning, who has lived near the care home for several years, said: “We’ve never had any concerns about the place before. We were staggered when we saw what was happening yesterday with all the emergency vehicles, and then to hear someone had been arrested was shocking.
Maggie O’Neill, who lives nearby, volunteered to help at All Saints Church in Swanage after discovering care home residents had been evacuated. She said she later found out she knew one of the people taken to hospital following the incident.
“I knew someone that was taken to hospital, but I know nothing,” she said. “She’s okay now, she has dementia. I think her family were able to go: they’re very supportive.”
What we don't know
We do not know the identity of the arrested woman, or what link – if any – she had to the care home.
While Dorset Police has said it is probing possible carbon monoxide poisoning as a focus of its inquiry, the nature of the incident or what may have caused it has not yet been confirmed,
The identities of the three people confirmed to have died have not been given.
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