CALLS are being made for an official investigation into the tragic death of a homeless Worcester man found dead in his tent.

Worcestershire's Safeguarding Adults Board could be about to launch a full-scale review into the death of Cardon Banfield, who was found rotting alongside the riverbank.

The 74-year-old was found by a Worcestershire County Cricket Club steward back in July, and had decomposed so badly he could only be identified by his DNA.

The Worcester News can reveal how his death has been referred to the safeguarding board by Worcestershire County Council, which is exploring the circumstances around the shock find.

The board, an independent organisation, is due to make a decision imminently over whether to commission a full safeguarding adults review.

The intervention comes after a plea from homelessness campaigner Hugo Sugg, who has urged the county's authorities not to let Mr Banfield's death be in vain.

"I contacted the county council and said I'm concerned this isn't being looked into, lessons haven't been learned and nobody has been held to account," he said.

" For me, a formal and legal review into Cardon's death will allow lessons to be learnt - but more importantly for elderly gentleman dying, rotting and smelling in a tent on the riverbank, stop his death being in vain."

Mr Banfield had pitched a tent up along the riverside near Severn Bridge car park some time before his death.

His body was only found when a hotel customer alerted a cricket club steward due to the awful smell.

Mr Sugg has repeatedly raised concerns about homelessness services in Worcester being too "light touch", and in particular the city council's role.

Kathy McAteer, from Worcestershire's Safeguarding Adults Board, said: "I can confirm the board has received a safeguarding adult review referral from Worcestershire County Council.

"The referral is currently 'in-scoping' which means that although the county council had no involvement with Mr Banfield, information is being gathered to identify whether he was known to partner agencies and to determine whether the criteria for a review are met or not.

"The board will then make a decision whether or not to commission a full safeguarding review.

"A safeguarding adults review is a multi-agency process which seeks to determine what relevant agencies and individuals involved could have done differently, that could have prevented harm or a death from taking place."

She added the purpose of reviews is not to "apportion blame" but "prevent future deaths" from occurring again.