Sir – How very distressing it was to read of the undiscovered deaths of Pauline and Caroline Jessett in Cowley Road, Littlemore (Report, December 5).

I have often knocked on their door and even pushed leaflets through their letter-box. In the end I assumed the house was empty.

This tragedy underlines the importance for people all over Oxford looking out for others who live in their street. Keeping ourselves to ourselves is clearly not enough. But looking after neighbours who deliberately shut themselves off from the wider community is a real problem. I’d like to express my gratitude to the environmental health officers and police who took the initiative to break into the Littlemore home and had to deal with the terrible scene they found. I hope, especially over the Christmas period, each of us will do that little bit more to watch out for our neighbours.

 

John Tanner, Board member for a cleaner, greener Oxford city councillor for Littlemore and county councillor for Isis