FRIENDS of May Appleton are being invited to give the pensioner a ‘good send-off’ at the funeral for the 87-year-old.

May’s son Brian has offered an invitation to anyone who knew his mother to attend the funeral to the pensioner, who died on June 22 at Leighton Hospital, where she had been for a week.

May had been living at the Travelodge at Lostock Gralam with her sons Brian, Mark and Paul for three months since the family was evicted from their Langford Road home of 61 years on March 22.

The eviction followed a three-year battle with landlord Weaver Vale Housing Trust over their possessions, which the trust classed as hoarding and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said was a fire hazard.

May’s funeral is to be held at St John’s Church, Lostock Gralam, at 10am on Tuesday, July 5, followed by committal at Altrincham Crematorium.

“Anyone who would like to come who knew mum is welcome to attend the funeral – come and give her a good send-off,” said Brian.

“She was very well known and had a lot to do with the community. She made friends with everybody, and I would like to see the church packed inside and outside for the funeral.

“The funeral will be a celebration of her life, as mum would not want it to be a sombre occasion.

“We would like to thank everyone for their support. It has been tremendous and overwhelming, and mum appreciated it very much.”

Weaver Vale Housing Trust said it was sad to hear of May’s death, and had aimed to allow her to return home as soon as her home was deemed safe.

The trust had agreed to pay for May and her sons’ temporary stay at the Travelodge.

Brian said May became ill about a month ago with a chest infection.

“She had three lots of antibiotics, and although it cleared up it she started to lose interest in things,” said Brian.

“Her health gradually deteriorated, and she lost the will to live. She gradually went off her food, and in the end was hardly drinking and was rushed into hospital because she was severely dehydrated.”

May’s health improved while in hospital, but her sons were called in the early hours of June 22 after her condition deteriorated.

“We had been put in one of the relatives’ flats three minutes from mum’s ward, and at 4am on the day she died we had a call from the nurses because they were concerned about her,” said Brian.

“Within the time it took to walk to the ward mum had gone.”

Brian said May died from septicaemia and pneumonia, and believed that the stress she had been under for the past 12 to 16 months had had a major impact on her health.

“Near the end she gave up – she’d had enough fighting to get back to the house,” he added.

Brian said he was hoping a judge would say this week that he and his brothers could move back into their home.

He thanked everyone at the Travelodge for their help, especially Sandra and Shirley.

Steve Jennings, chief executive at Weaver Vale Housing Trust said: “We are extremely saddened to hear of the death of May Appleton.

“Over the past three years we, along with concerned partners from a number of other agencies, attempted to work with Mrs Appleton and her sons to explore every option available to make the property safe for the family to live in following Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service determining the house was a fire hazard.

“Sadly, we were unable to reach an agreement with the family that would allow us to clear the fire risk and make the house safe for those living in the property, neighbours and others visiting the home.

“Our aim throughout was to allow Mrs Appleton to return home as soon as the property was deemed safe.

“We continually sought to work with the family to make this possible.

“In recent months progressing this outcome to a mutually satisfactory conclusion has been with The Court of Protection, with ourselves and Cheshire West and Chester Council been acting upon the directions of the presiding Judge.”