Paralysed Woman 'Starves' After Mum Dies 

A paralysed woman found dead at her home is believed to have starved to death after her mother died suddenly.

Sam Wolf, 29, was found dead on the floor of her room, next to her wheelchair, according to reports.

Her mother, 67-year-old Stephania Wolf, is understood to have died several weeks ago.

The pair were found at the home they shared in Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, on Saturday. Their bodies were partially decomposed.

Hertfordshire County Council has said it was looking into the case.

A spokeswoman said: "The situation at the moment is that they were known to adult care services but they refused the offer of our services."

A source at the council said social services still had a duty to care for families who needed help, even if they refused it.

A spokeswoman for Hertfordshire Police said that initial post-mortem examination results showed neither woman had suffered external injuries.

There were no suspicious circumstances, she added.

A structural assessment of Ms Wolf's home was carried out in August 1998.

As a result, a number of ramps and rails were fitted to help her daughter. Further offers of support were also made but these were refused.

Then, in March 2006, the council offered Ms Wolf the chance for her daughter to attend a day care centre but this was also refused.

That was the last time the council was in contact with Ms Wolf and her daughter.

The council is now reviewing its dealings with the family, the spokesman added.

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3 August 2010 Last updated at 12:04 ET

Women 'refused help' before deaths in Hertfordshire
 
A mother and her disabled daughter found dead in a house had refused help from social workers, a council has said.

Stephania Wolf, 67, and her 29-year-old daughter Sam Wolf were discovered in Marford Road, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, on Saturday.

Tests suggested the pair did not sustain any external injuries.

Hertfordshire County Council said they were known to adult care services but had refused the offer of help.

Neighbours said the mother had once pinned a sheet on the tiled roof of her home with the word "help" in red letters.

It remained on the house for a number of days, before being removed.

The council said the two women had undergone a care assessment in 1998 and were provided with equipment for the house.

Social services had final contact with the family in March 2006, when the daughter finished her further education, it said.

Neighbour Kerrie Goodwin: "We didn't think it unusual not to hear from them"

The council said it was agreed at that meeting that the family would maintain contact through their GP.

The council is now looking into the case.

Police said full results of post-mortem examinations would take several weeks but the women had not sustained any external injuries or were victims of violence prior to their death.

Forensic tests to establish the cause of both deaths are ongoing, a police spokeswoman said.

"Detectives believe the circumstances surrounding the deaths are not suspicious and are not looking for anyone else," she added.