The heartbroken husband of an Alzheimer’s victim has accused social workers of ‘kidnapping’ his wife – after they banned him from seeing her for the last three years.
Brian Entwistle, 73, has been refused all access to his wife of 52 years Pat – with police threatening to arrest him on his last attempted visit.
He has been told a mysterious ‘safeguard order’ has been imposed by social services to protect his wife.
But despite repeated requests the order has never been produced – while Brian is not even allowed to speak to Pat on the phone.
He said: “My wife is being kept from me – it’s as if she’s been kidnapped.
“I don’t want to go on another year like this – it is reducing me to a wreck.
“I would like to see her as soon as and as much as I can but I’ve been put through three years of hell when I’ve done nothing wrong.”
Brian, a graphic artist, said he and Pat were happily married for 40 years and raised three children.
But around ten years ago she began developing Alzheimer’s and he nursed her at their home on Anglesey for six years until she became too ill.
Brian agreed that Pat should move into a care home in Cambridgeshire 250 miles away because it was near her sister and their daughter Mishelle, 53.
During the last three years of caring for her at home he started a relationship with another woman which he describes as his own ‘respite’ to help him cope.
But he says his daughter never forgave him – and teamed up with a disapproving social worker on Anglesey to punish him and keep him away from his wife.
Before Pat’s move was agreed Brian had a bitter row with the social worker about his affair and ended up telling her it was ‘none of her business’.
Pat was moved to the Millfield Lodge home in Cambridgeshire in May 2010 and Brian visited her two weeks later.
He said they got on fine and he took a photo of them together – but it was the last time he was allowed to see her.
Since then Brian has found himself barred from visiting, speaking to his wife on the phone or getting any information about her welfare when he rings the home.
On his first visit he asked to take Pat out for the day but was told he wasn’t allowed because a ‘guard order’ had been put on her.
He and his lawyer have repeatedly asked to see it but it has never been produced.
Brian reluctantly left to avoid a confrontation but when he returned for another visit on two months later he got a more hostile reception.
Manager Anita Ram and a fellow worker told him he wasn’t allowed inside the building – and refused to give him any information about his wife.
Brian later discovered that Pat had had a cancer scare and been treated at hospital – but the care home never told him about it.
Angry and confused at being barred entry, he went straight to police claiming his wife had been ‘kidnapped’.
Officers accompanied him to the home, entered it, and came out to tell him Pat ‘was fine’.
But they added that Brian could only discuss the situation with Anglesey Social Services who were paying for her care and apparently controlling the situation.
At the time he could still afford a solicitor but the social services also refused to give the lawyer any details of the ‘control order’.
Frustrated Brian made the 500-mile round trip to the home for a third time in September 2010 but was once more turned away.
Brian started one-man demonstrations outside the home, holding placards and handing out leaflets about his plight.
Police have been repeatedly called to speak to him but he has never been arrested.
Bewildered Brian has not been allowed to speak to his wife since Christmas 2010 and staff have told him she no longer wants to see him or talk to him.
They have now warned him Pat might be moved to a new home because of his ‘continued harassment’.
He tearfully said: “How can a man be shut out from his own wife and then accused of harrassment?
“We used to have a great relationship with my family but this has torn us apart.
“I can assure you I’ve done nothing to deserve this. It’s quite an horrific story and everyone I know can’t believe that this can happen in this day and age.
“I’ve never done anything to harm my wife in 50 years of living together but now in her hour of need I’m not allowed to see her, or even get any news of her.
“I looked after her for seven years but no-one said I was doing an irresponsible job.
“We’re now being kept apart for no reason other than they have listened to my daughter who has this issue with me and the social worker on Anglesey who was in cahoots with her.”
Despairing Brian, who says all three of his children have completely disowned him, added: “I now feel that even if Pat died I wouldn’t be allowed to go to her funeral.”
Care home manager Anita Ram said: “The best people to talk to are Anglesey Social Services.
“Our priority is a duty of care to our patients. We have a code of confidentiality to our patients and a duty to look after them and provide medical assistance if they need it.
“We do not go to any part of the country and bring people to our home.
“They come to us advised by the NHS or their local authority.”
Anglesey Social Services said: “We are unable to comment on this matter due to client confidentiality.”
Daughter Mishelle, 53, failed to respond to repeated requests for a comment.
