London Window Cleaner Loses Balance & His Life

Flowers and an Arsenal scarf left around the basement area of the Noel Road property in London. David Bluring a local window cleaner fell after losing his balance.

A “kind and lovely” window cleaner who had worked in Islington since he was just 16 tragically died after falling from the roof of a five-storey house in Angel. Father of two David Bluring, 58, who grew up in the borough but lived in Southgate, was cleaning the top-floor windows of the property in Noel Road at around 3pm last Thursday when he lost his balance and fell around 50 feet.

Mr Bluring was one of five children who spent their childhood on the Peabody estate, off Essex Road. It is unclear what caused the fall, but a handle appeared to be missing from a top-floor window. Passers-by suggested Mr Bluring may have lost his balance after the handle he was holding onto came away. 

The window cleaner, who fell into the basement area in front of the property, was not using a ladder at the time and appears not to have taken any other safety precautions. Police say they are not treating the incident as suspicious at this stage.

The Noel Road house where Mr Bluring fell.

Geoffrey Arden, 85, who owns the house, said he had opened the door to Mr Bluring earlier that day. “He seemed perfectly normal,” he said. “I had only met him once or twice. He had been our window cleaner for about a year after he was recommended to us by neighbours. He was very conscientious. “How he lost his balance I don’t know. It’s a great tragedy.”

The pensioner said he had never seen Mr Bluring use a ladder, and that he had climbed on to the roof out of the top-floor window. Dave Branch, a builder who was working in a house opposite and was said to have tried to come to Mr Bluring’s aid after witnessing the fall, left a bunch of flowers and a card at the scene. It said: “So sorry I couldn’t help you more. My thoughts are with you and your family. Rest in peace.”

Wilton Square resident Isobel Waller, one of Mr Bluring’s customers of 17 years, said she and her husband Anthony had seen him just days before his death. “He was laughing and joking, full of vitality and acute observations of life,” she said.

A message left at the scene in Angel.

“Dave Burling was one of the first people my husband and I met when we moved to Wilton Square in 1998. “He was always ready for a chat and we would discuss the issues of the day over a cup of coffee when he came to do our windows. He kept a friendly eye on people living on their own or who needed a bit of help.” “We will miss him enormously,” she added.

Another customer, Arlington Square resident Kathleen Bondar, described Mr Bluring as a “nice, cheerful and friendly man”. “He was such a nice, cheerful and friendly man whom I trusted so easily around my home,” she added. “He worked hard and carefully and always had a kind, lovely manner. This is a tragedy for all who knew him.”

Police and paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and London Air Ambulance attended the incident but were unable to save the 58-year-old. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Enquiries into the circumstances of the death are being carried out by officers from Islington Council and the Health and Safety Executive. Mr Bluring is survived by son Damian, 31, daughter Sam, 30 and his wife Sharon.