A SON who claimed there had been a cover-up over his father's death in a care home has retracted his allegations.

Henry Ovenell, 81, had been living at the Marlborough Court care home in Copperfield Road, Thamesmead, until he was taken unconscious to hospital in August last year.

When the inquest into his father's death opened at Southwark Coroner's Court, Dennis Ovenell claimed a care worker at the home had been threatened with disciplinary action if she did not change her statement about the circumstances of his father's death.

But when the inquest was resumed, Mr Ovenell junior retracted his previous statement.

Instead he told coroner Selena Lynch the worker, Faith Walter, had "not been encouraged" by the home to make a statement.

In previous evidence, Mr Ovenell junior said his father had a grazed forehead when he visited him at the end of July last year, which his father said had come from a fall out of bed.

A few days later, he had taken his father for a visit home. "It was apparent he was unwell. He wasn't speaking and he wasn't interested in his lunch."

When they returned to the home, Mr Ovenell junior claimed he had told Miss Walter and the manager he was concerned about his father and asked them to keep a close eye on him.

Four days later, Mr Ovenell senior was found unresponsive. He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich where a brain haemorrhage was diagnosed. He underwent surgery but died on August 21.

Miss Walter told the inquest she had returned to work on August 2 after some time off and noticed Mr Ovenell senior had a graze on his head. He told her he had fallen out of bed.

She said she was never asked to make a statement after the pensioner's death. Asked by the coroner if anyone had asked her to lie, she replied "no."

Five other members of staff said they had never noticed any injury to Mr Ovenell senior.

Manager Lynne Hopkins said Mr Ovenell junior said his father had eyesight problems and had been sleepy all day. She said she offered to call an optician.

The coroner said it was impossible to discover what had caused the bleeding in Mr Ovenell senior's brain but it was likely he had suffered another fall. She recorded a verdict of accidental death.