A grieving has slammed a police force after he found out his mother had been found dead from somebody on Facebook - three days after he body was found.
Kevin Simpson, 52, was devastated to learn the news on social media that his mum Gillian, 75, had collapsed and died while walking her dog.
Officers found her body last Tuesday after a jogger raised the alarm at Stapleford Woods on the Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire border.
Delivery driver Kevin, from Newark, Nottinghamshire., became concerned when he was unable to get hold of his mum when she failed to meet her friend.
He drove to her home and the woods, where she often took her dog Pearl, and found her car in the car park.
Kevin turned detective and took to Facebook in a desperate attempt to find his mum who was a keen dog breeder and trainer.
Tragically, a social media user informed Kevin that a local woman had been found dead at the beauty spot and he "put two and two together".
He called Lincolnshire Police who immediately sent an officer to his home to confirm the tragic news.
The force apologised for the error and said they believed Nottinghamshire Police were informing Gillian's next of kin.
Kevin said: "Why did it take three days for me to find out by Facebook that my own mother had died? It's been disgusting.
"Words cannot describe just how let down I feel by the police.
"The left hand doesn't seem to know what the right hand is doing there and I feel incredibly hurt and let down.
"Nobody should be made left to make that discovery themselves. It was horrible on the day when I couldn't get hold of her.
"The police essentially came to break me the tragic news when I already knew it."
Kevin was first alerted when his mum's friend called him to say Gillian had failed to meet her for a walk.
He said: "When her friend called to say she hadn't turned up to meet her I rang my mum's house phone and mobile but there was no answer.
"I went to the house and saw her car was missing and no sign of the dog so I thought she would have gone to the woods for a walk.
"Her car was there so I walked around the whole woods shouting her name and a jogger who runs there every day told me her car had been there since Tuesday.
"I returned home and saw this Facebook post on the community page which said a woman had died and I put two and two together.
"I knew right there and then it was mum. Nobody should have to find out like that.
"She was found on the Tuesday, I was finally told on the Friday. Three days with no contact, and I had to find out off of social media. It's disgusting.
"Lincolnshire police eventually came round to tell me there had been a mix-up and that Nottinghamshire Police should have told me. But it's not just good enough."
His grief was further compounded when he found out Pearl, which was found by Gillian's body, had been taken to a kennels for stray dogs.
He has since been reunited with his late mum's pooch.
Lincolnshire Police said: "We are really sorry to hear the woman's son found out this way.
"We understand the devastating impact that this type of message can have at any time, which is why we make every effort to deliver that message directly from officers, and in person where we can.
"Sadly, that was not possible on this occasion and we do not underestimate the impact this is likely to have had.
"We're sorry there was a miscommunication which has caused further distress."
