The stepson of Sir Ranulph Fiennes has been contacted by police and says he intends to speak to them this week over his concerns about the wellbeing of the explorer.
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he → contact → explorer
Alexander Millington-Cotes – who is estranged from his mother, Louise, Fiennes’ second and current wife – said an officer from Cheshire police had called him in recent days.
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officer → estrange → days
The call, he said, had given him hope the concerns of friends and family of Fiennes were being taken seriously, adding that the officer appeared interested in what he had observed.
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he → say → what
“That’s the one bit of hope,” Millington-Cotes told the Guardian.
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Cotes → ’ → Guardian
Questions have been raised in recent months about the welfare of Fiennes, who has Parkinson’s and is in the care of his wife, who has power of attorney.
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who → raise → attorney
Among those who have raised issues is his relative Joseph Fiennes, the actor, who wrote in January to the Office of the Public Guardian, setting out concerns about Ranulph being cut off from friends and family.
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Ranulph → raise → friends
He has not been seen in public for two years.
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He → see → years
Millington-Cotes, 31, said he had been disappointed by the response of the authorities so far.
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he → say → authorities
Cheshire police issued a statement on Monday in which they said they did not have “safeguarding concerns” regarding the 82-year-old.
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they → issue → old
It said officers were “satisfied that Sir Ranulph Fiennes is living in an appropriate setting with suitable care and professional oversight”.
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Fiennes → say → care
Millington-Cotes said a wide group of friends were concerned the police did not have the full picture.
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police → say → picture
It is claimed that the explorer has spent more than a year living under assumed names in a succession of care homes and that even attempts by the king to check on him had been rebuffed by Fiennes’s wife.
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attempts → claim → wife
Millington-Cotes said: “I might have possibly one more avenue with the police.
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I → say → police
I just got a call the other day from a detective who wanted to speak to me which was interesting and encouraging.
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which → get → me
They kind of wanted to get my perspective on things and the sort of things that I’ve observed and things like that, and what I believe to be the truth.”
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I → want → that
A spokesperson for Cheshire police said: “Yes, we’re in touch with him.
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we → say → him
Our original statement still stands.”
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statement → stand → ?
Millington-Cotes, an aerospace engineer, described the initial police statement as “slapdash” and “really disappointing”.
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Cotes → describe → slapdash
He is crowdfunding a legal application in an attempt to wrest power of attorney over Fiennes away from his mother.
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He → crowdfunde → mother
Among the last to see Fiennes was Arabella Pepper, the younger sister of Ranulph’s late first wife, Ginny, who claimed visitors were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements.
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visitors → see → agreements
She claimed Fiennes appeared “incredibly relieved” to see her and that he had spoken of “longing” to see friends.
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he → claim → friends
Michael Kobold, a friend who has been among those questioning Fiennes’s treatment, said he was concerned the explorer’s isolation had since become “even more draconian”, including during his time in a care home in Wales where staff were given strict instructions on his day to day activities.
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staff → question → activities
When the arrangements at that home were raised as an issue of concern by the owner with the regulator, the Care Inspectorate Wales confirmed in an email that the correct protocols were not in place.
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protocols → raise → place
They wrote: “Currently [Sir Ranulph] is being deprived of his liberty unlawfully as there is no authorised deprivation in place which reflects the current residence and restrictions in place.”
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which → write → place
Kobold said: “This was reported to me by the owner of the care home in Wales, from where Louise moved Ran after the owner raised concerns with the relevant authorities.”
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owner → say → authorities
Fiennes’ current whereabouts is not known.
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whereabouts → know → ?
Louise Millington-Cotes was contacted for comment.
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Cotes → contact → comment
The Aporia
