The story of Robert Diamond, who appears to have been abandoned to his fate on a Bradford housing estate by the authorities, is a deeply worrying one. It is a story of failure to cope, both by the individual concerned and by the system which should have been looking after him.

Mr Diamond's problems stem from injuries sustained through a serious fall, which put him in hospital for three months. They affected his reading ability and left him finding it difficult to manage his life. He now lives behind boarded-up windows in an abandoned street on Buttershaw - a street which has been earmarked for demolition and cleared of most of its residents.

Mr Diamond remains, but the authorities and their agents seem so unaware of his presence that his house has been broken into twice by contractors, who did not realise that anyone was living there. It was an understandable error, given the neglected state of the property.

The case throws up many questions, chief of which is: why is the system so incapable of coping with this situation? Mr Diamond's rent is being paid, so there is clearly a record that someone lives at the house. Is there no liaison between the various council departments?

Mr Diamond needs a better home. He needs help from Social Services to enable him to cope in it. How threadbare must the net be if someone like him can slip through it? Why was his plight not spotted and addressed?

And perhaps most worrying of all, how many others are struggling along in similar situations?