TWO ‘reclusive’ siblings whose mum died when they were toddlers have been found dead just weeks after their dad died from cancer.
Chris and Nicola Long were found dead at their home in Norwich, which they had shared with their beloved dad Chris.
Chris, 59, and Nicola, 46, were said to have still been struggling with the death of their mum Margaret, who drowned in a river when they were children.
The pair have been described by neighbours as “reclusive” and were thought to have been jobless at the time of their deaths.
Dad Chris had brought them up as a single parent after his wife’s death, with the trio hiding themselves away from other relatives.
He passed away aged 70 from lung cancer on July 14, with the siblings being found on July 31 at their home on Middleton Crescent, Costessey.
Norfolk Police are treating the deaths as unexplained, but believe that it is an isolated incident.
Neighbour Yvonne Becket, 58, said the trio had started acting strangely around two years ago, after which they stayed inside their home.
“They were alright for a while and then they went funny. They didn’t talk to anyone. I don’t know if they had mental problems,” she said.
“Everyone loved them but they wanted to keep within themselves
Aunt Irene Northfield
“They girl used to be giggly and then she cut her hair and was dressing like a fella.
“The dad said they didn’t deal with the death of the mother. It’s the only thing he complained about.
“A couple of weeks back he was walking down the road with a suitcase. I haven’t seen him since then.
“The last time I saw the whole family was about a month ago.
“I was shocked when I heard the news and then they said the father wasn’t there. I thought maybe the kids couldn’t handle it.
“I just feel sorry for them, they were a nice enough family.”
Since the siblings’ bodies were discovered on Saturday morning, the leafy estate has been swamped by police investigators, who are yet to work out the cause of death.
Nicola was described by a neighbour as around 5’3 tall and Chris was around 5’9 – both with short blonde hair.
Nicola and Chris’ uncle Dick Forster, 69, described the news as “heart-breaking” and said the family were “reclusive”.
Dick said: “They’ve had a hard life, their mother died when they were young.
“Chris fell out with the family. The kids never went anywhere, they were recluses.”
Aunt Irene Northfield said the whole family were devoted to Chris and his children but that they chose to keep themselves away.
Irene added: “All the family were devoted to them. Everyone made attempts with them but they wouldn’t let you help them.
“Everyone loved them but they wanted to keep within themselves. Because they were adults, there was nothing you could do.”
Yesterday two officers could still be seen outside the house, which has been cordoned off.
Det Insp Matt Stuart said: “We are still in the very early stages of our investigation and officers are working to establish the events leading up to these deaths.
“However, whilst we must keep an open mind about the circumstances, our initial enquiries lead us to believe this is an isolated incident.”
