A 47-year-old woman was found dead in a disabled toilet at a Blackpool restaurant, where her body remained undiscovered for three days.
Sabrina Marlynn Lyttle entered The Gurkha Buffet Restaurant in Blackpool shortly after 8:30 PM on November 28, 2024.
According to CCTV footage,it was revealed that she asked staff for directions to the pub toilets but instead entered the restaurant’s disabled toilets, which cannot be opened without a RADAR key.
Three days later, staff discovered Ms. Lyttle’s body when they opened the toilet.
Now, Sabrina’s daughter, 27-year-old Jade Casey, has expressed her anger over how her mother wasn’t found sooner.
She said: “The police told us that customers complained they couldn’t access the toilet, but it was assumed the lock was malfunctioning.
“They eventually opened the disabled toilet on Saturday morning and found her.
“I’m angry because she could have been found sooner. They should have done routine toilet checks.”
Jade added that her mother’s death has left her heartbroken.
“It’s heartbreaking to know she was left in the cold, alone. I know she was dead, but it hurts to think she was there while people were eating and drinking,” she said.
Jade believes her mother may have been struggling and needed help, adding, “We think she broke into the disabled toilet to avoid asking for a key. She had been released from prison the day before her death, so maybe she was trying to get warm.”
A statement from The Gurkha Buffet Restaurant claimed staff attempted to open the toilet before discovering Ms. Lyttle’s body but were unsuccessful.
The restaurant said:
“On Thursday, November 28, 2024, at 8:34 PM, a non-customer member of the public entered the premises and asked to use the toilets. Directions to the pub toilets in a separate area of the building were given.
“Access to the locked disabled toilet is controlled by staff, as the facility cannot be opened with a RADAR key. The male and female toilets are deep-cleaned every morning and checked throughout the day. The disabled toilet is checked after every authorized use and cleaned as needed.
“Access to the disabled toilet was not requested until Friday evening around 10 PM. Staff and helpful pub customers were unable to unlock the door. The issue was reported as a maintenance problem to management.
“On Saturday, management was still unable to unlock the door using secure keys and had to remove the locking mechanism before alerting the police.”
Ms. Lyttle, who had struggled with addiction and homelessness for much of her life, was released from prison just a day before her death.
Her daughter described her as “funny and kind” despite her challenges.
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“She suffered from addiction and was in and out of homelessness for the last 25 years, but she was a really nice person,” said Jade.
A Lancashire Police spokesperson stated:
“We were called shortly after 1 PM on Saturday, November 30, to a report of a sudden death at an address on Waterloo Road in Blackpool. Officers attended, and sadly, the body of a woman in her 40s was found.
“Our thoughts are with her loved ones. The death is not being treated as suspicious, and a file will be prepared for HM Coroner.”
