A MAN who died in Wirral earlier this month aged 111 may have been the oldest male in the UK at the time of his death.

Siu Kiu Chau, who passed away on May 18, lived on Cumberland Avenue in Prenton at the time of his death. 

An inquest held this week at the Gerard Majella Courthouse in Liverpool revealed that Mr Chau was born in Hong Kong on December 8 1911.

This means Mr Chau was born both before the outbreak of First World War in 1914 and the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.

The inquest heard that Mr Chau was a retired grocery store owner and a widower of Lin Far Chau, who was described as a housewife. 

Anita Bhardwaj, area coroner for Liverpool and Wirral, said: "On April 21 2023, Siu was admitted to Arrowe Park Hospital following an unwitnessed fall in his kitchen at his home address when he tripped and fell forward.

"Siu was found to have sustained a left sided neck of femur fracture. Siu underwent a hemiarthroplasty on April 23 2023.

"In light of his co-morbidities and frailty he was not suitable for a general
anaesthetic, and gave consent for a spinal anaesthesia.

"Post operatively Siu developed complications and died on May 18 2023."

Ms Bhardwaj confirmed that the injuries Mr Chau sustained from the fall resulted in his death and there was no evidence to suggest the fall was anything other than an accident.

A conclusion that Mr Chau died of an accident was recorded. 

At the time of his death, Mr Chau was 111 years and 161 days old which would have made him the third oldest person in the country and the oldest man behind Ethel Cateram who is currently 113 yrs and 276 days old and Edna Strickland who is 112 yrs and 79 days old.

The next oldest man is John Tinniswood from Southport who is 110 years and 271 days old. 

The oldest known British person ever is Charlotte Hughes, who died in 1993 at the age of 115 years and 228 days. The oldest man ever from the United Kingdom is Henry Allingham, who died in 2009 at the age of 113 years and 42 days.