Grandad, who was left to starve in a care home during the COVID-19 pandemic, became a 'skeleton'

Photos taken by relatives show John McGrath's emaciated frame just forty-eight hours before he passed away from factors linked to Parkinson's.

John McGrath is feared to have lost six stones in just thirteen months at the care home.

A grandfather left to starve in a care home during the COVID-19 pandemic was pictured looking like a 'skeleton' two days before he died.

Photos taken by relatives show John McGrath's emaciated frame just forty-eight hours before he passed away from factors linked to Parkinson's.

The 74-year-old's heartbroken sister Claire had not been able to see her brother for over a year due to lockdown restrictions and "couldn’t believe it when I saw him", according to Lancashire Live.

When John was first admitted to the care home, former nurse Claire believed he weighed around eleven stones.

However, over the next thirteen months, he is feared to have lost six stones, with the former jockey weighing just five stones when he died.

She told The Mirror Online: "I could not believe it when I saw him. He was a skeleton lying on a mattress on the floor.

"I've worked in all areas of nursing, and I’ve never seen anything like this. I felt that if I had been allowed to visit three months prior, I'd have taken him home with me."

It is one of 748 cases of alleged neglect reported to the pressure group Care Campaign for the Vulnerable since the pandemic. Jayne Connery, its founder, said: "It is difficult to view photos of John and not be concerned.

"We know serious staff shortages existed during the pandemic but have no idea how providers ensured residents continued to receive the care they badly needed."

A representative from the group attended a meeting with Claire and the managers of Saint Giles Care Home in Tile Cross, Birmingham, last month. Managers denied neglect and insisted Mr McGrath had lost just half a stone while in their care, weighing 7.5 stone when he died, and an internal probe found no evidence of neglect.

Care Campaign for the Vulnerable calls for CCTV installed in care homes and has applied for core participant status in 2023's public COVID-19 inquiry. A spokesperson for Saint Giles Care Home - part of Avery Healthcare Group - said Mr McGrath had been a "much-loved resident."

He added: "Mr McGrath's sister raised ­concerns following her brother’s death, which was fully investigated, and the findings shared with his sister and her representative."

Kate Terroni, Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care at the Care Quality Commission, said: "Every person in care deserves a safe and dignified environment, free from harm. We will not hesitate to act when concerns are brought to our attention."