A day in the life of a traumatic death cleaner

Warning: The following video and article contains upsetting content

"Flies and smell are the worst things", Jim Gildea reveals the grim reality of his daily grind.

Jim, from Gosport, Hampshire, cleans up after violent, traumatic or unattended deaths.

With 10 years' experience behind him, he has developed coping mechanisms to protect himself from the emotional challenges this type of work can bring.

He estimated at least nine out of every 10 of his trauma cleaning jobs followed the sudden, unexpected or unattended deaths of men.

This anecdotal evidence aligns with research which reveals men are three times more likely than women to need a state-funded funeral after dying alone, in poverty or without family who can afford a cremation or burial.