AT around 7.05pm on November 14 last year, John Matthews received a phone call that would change his life.

The call came from the South Western Ambulance Service (SWAS) and was received by a friend of Mr Matthews, as he does not own a mobile phone.

In it, the ambulance staff member asked if Mr Matthews was okay, as emergency services had broken into his house in Zeals after a member of the public had called police, concerned for his welfare.

Mr Matthews’ story begins at around 5.45pm that day, when he was picked up from the home he lives in alone by a friend to go for a meal at their house, in Gillingham.
“I’d been here all day, I hadn’t gone out,” he said.

“But as we went down the road, we saw an ambulance coming the other way.”

The pair thought nothing of it and proceeded to enjoy their meal, until the phone rang.

“They asked if she knew where John Matthews was,” the 77-year-old explained. “She said, ‘Yes, he’s here, do you want to talk to him?’”

“He asked me, ‘Where’s the key to your house?’ and I said it’s here, in my pocket. I thought it was a scam at first.”

Then, another phone call, from a neighbour who was watching the drama unfold.

“She said the fire brigade have been here and the ambulance and they have broken down your door,” he said.

The pair set off to return to Mr Matthews’ home, only to find it deserted and in darkness.
“When we got back, there was nothing here at all, it was pitch black,” he said. “They had broken in through the front doors. They split the door, right down through.”

Mr Matthews said the neighbour had seen the unfolding incident and told the crews where he was – and given them his friend’s phone number.

“I was supposed to be dead in here and it was a neighbour who had contacted the police anonymously,” he went on.

“It was such a shock to come back to.”

However from there, the story only got more confusing for the retired engineer, after he claims he found items had gone missing from the house and has no idea how they were taken.

Wiltshire Police, SWAS and the DWFRS say they know nothing about the claim of missing items.

“They [emergency services] later said they had secured it [the house], but a child could have pushed the door open,” he said. “I was devastated, gutted.”

He went on: “Three necklaces that were my great-great-great grandmother’s, four rings, two gold watches and gold chains, two cameras I bought in Salisbury, good ones, £450 in the kitchen was also gone, and a bank card, but thankfully, that had expired.”

He says a phone call to police ended in him being told to ‘take it up with the fire brigade’ – though police have no record of the conversation.

And a call with the fire service in Mere ended in an argument, according to Mr Matthews, another claim denied by DWFRS.

“We didn’t get very far,” he said. “I phoned the fire brigade and they confirmed it was Mere Fire Station that came out and he said he hoped I wouldn’t be too hard on them.
“I spoke to a chap at Mere and I said this is wrong, and there’s stuff missing. He used the f-word on me so many times, which was un-called for.

“He said he had been told not to speak to me and put the phone down.”

He also received a letter from the ambulance service, which he replied to with more questions.

The service said it has been unable to investigate the incident further as it had not received vital information and permissions from him.

The pensioner said the incident had left him wary of dealing with the emergency services – and frightened to leave his home.

“My family has been here for 108 years,” he added. “But after that, everything in my house felt dirty. My whole house felt dirty. It’s your personal space. I was so distressed.”
The mystery around the initial call, and the missing items, persists, leaving an elderly man in a state of confusion and frustration.

He said: “I have been here my whole life. Who would do this, and why?”

What the emergency services said:

A Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) spokesperson said: “A crew from Mere fire station attended a property in Zeals on November 14 last year after paramedics on scene asked for such assistance.

“After an initial investigation from outside the property to see whether the occupant was inside, the fire crew gained access via the front door.

“Only two people entered the house, a paramedic and a firefighter, and they checked all rooms to see whether there was a casualty.

“Once it was confirmed that there was no casualty, the fire crew secured the door and left the incident with ambulance colleagues. The fire crew was on scene for about an hour.

“Mr Matthews contacted fire control later that evening and the duty group manager called him back. There were further conversations between them, including one three days later, and we believed the matter to be closed. At no time was Mr Matthews told to contact Mere fire station directly, and we strongly rebut any suggestion that a member of staff was abusive to him.

“As far as we are aware, no complaint has been made to the police about the allegation of theft, and we have received no formal complaint directly to the service.”

A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: “We are waiting for Mr Matthews to respond to a letter that we sent to him recorded delivery on February 6, 2023.

“Until we receive a response, we’re unable to investigate his claims. “We have also never received an official complaint from Mr Matthews about any alleged stolen items.”

Wiltshire Police said they had no records of any calls from Mr Matthews.

“We would encourage anyone who has been the victim of a burglary to report it to us as soon as possible,” they said.

“If a crime is in progress, always call 999.”