POLICE are investigating after a man in supported living accommodation in York suffered scalding to his feet.

The incident happened at a property in Willow Glade, Huntington, where the man – understood to have learning disabilities – was being supported by the Pickering-based Wilf Ward Family Trust.

A spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Police said the force’s Protecting Vulnerable Persons Unit in York was carrying out an investigation to establish how the man came to sustain his injuries.

The spokeswoman said the incident had happened last month, but had been reported to the police on October 1.

A Trust spokesman said today that an individual who was being supported in his own home had suffered accidental scalding to his feet while bathing.

“Medical services were immediately alerted, as were the relevant authorities,” the spokesman said. “The individual has made a good recovery.”

He said he was not at liberty to disclose any personal details as this would be a breach of their confidentiality.

It is understood that the trust was commissioned by City of York Council to support the man at the property.

The council’s assistant director of housing and adult social services, Anne Bygrave, said it was aware of the incident and had been working with the Trust from the outset.

“We believe the Trust has responded swiftly and appropriately to the incident and has fully co-operated with council staff as they have investigated the incident,” she said.

“We are confident the Trust will resolve the situation in a suitably decisive manner.”

The Press became aware of the incident when it received an anonymous letter purporting to be from employees of the Trust.

The letter claimed that a man had been “horribly burned in a scalding bath” at the Huntington property.

It claimed the incident came about following changes within the Trust, which had left insufficient people to cover shifts. It claimed that further such accidents would happen in future and that a member of staff had been demoted following the incident.

Asked to comment on such claims, the Trust spokesman said it had swiftly taken the “appropriate management action in relation to the individual member of staff concerned,” and said it rejected any suggestion of unsafe staffing levels.