A WIDOW trying to uncover why her husband drowned in a swimming pool has accused against Enfield Council of keeping her in the dark.

Mary Fernandes, 62, said she was not given the details of the council’s investigation into the death until 11 months after the incident in Southbury Leisure Centre pool on September 12, 2007.

She claims she had no contact from the local authority until she made a phone call last month.

When two council officers then visited her at her home, she claims they said that they hadn’t informed her because they believed she was too elderly and vulnerable.

After commemorating the one-year anniversary of his death with a mass and family gathering at her home in Alexandra Road, Ponders End, Mrs Fernandes said: “They did nothing. I don’t think they would have even bothered to let me know anything if I had not chased them.

“When they came they said ‘Well, if you were young with children we would have sent a social worker’.

“The implication was that I was old and not able to take it and they didn’t want to distress me. But I was worrying because I didn’t know what was happening.”

An accident investigation report into the death, which was not thought to be suspicious, says that 78-year-old Wenceslaus Fernandes went to an over-50s swimming session, got into difficulties and could not be revived.

Mr Fernandes’ death certificate said he drowned from a lack of oxygen to the brain.

A spokeswoman for the council would not comment on the alleged comments made about the officers withholding information from Mrs Fernandes.

She said: “There were no significant delays, either in the investigation or production of the report into the investigation.

“The report has been provided to the coroner who will set a date for the inquest.”

Yet this is contradicted by Hornsey Coroners Court, which says it has only received part of the information and cannot set a date for an inquest until it has received it all.

Mrs Fernandes said: “I am not happy as (council staff) told me they passed it on to the coroners court when they came.”

The report found no breaches of relevant health and safety standards or management practices and no blame has been attached to the lifeguards at the pool.