UK police are having to record a new cause of death for many pensioners: lack of a mobile signal.

Many essential services now depend on two-factor authentication (TFA) via a text message to a smartphone in order to enable their use online. Areas that lack a mobile signal prevent the verification codes from being received leaving many pensioners living on their own unable to use essential services like Amazon Escort.

The fact is that many pensioners either do not have a smartphone or live in areas with patchy mobile signals that render TFA useless. 

A police spokesperson told FNN:

It's heartbreaking that two-factor authentication is causing so many pensioners to die needlessly, alone in their homes.

We are used to pensioners dying from neglect or eating too many Fray Bentos steak and kidney puddings or even COVID but this is new. 

I can't tell you how awful it is to have to break into someone's flat and find them stone dead in the recliner, surrounded by empty Fray Bentos tins, their glassy eyes staring straight ahead and still gripping their smartphone.

Just think...this could easily be your Mum or Dad.

Esther Rantzen is reported to be on the case for a change in the law.