Authorities in Paphos assisted an elderly woman who had been living in deplorable conditions, while a cleaning crew found stashes of old bank notes and other valuables at her home, it was reported on Thursday.

Municipal employees uncovered the unexpected cash, in the form of old Cypriot pound notes amounting to £13,000, as well as other valuables, while clearing her residence on Wednesday.

The 75-year-old had been living in a structurally unsound home with cracks in the walls in Kato Paphos, surrounded by items stacked up to the ceiling and scattered all over the floors.

The pound notes in various denominations, as well as jewellery and other items, were discovered in packed rubbish bags, which the elderly woman had been hoarding for years.

The home had no electricity or water, and she had reportedly been living alongside domesticated animals.

The case had been publicised by Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonas last week. After it came to light, the local welfare service removed the woman from her home, and referred her for medical examination, upon securing the requisite compulsory court order.

The woman’s living conditions were indicative of a hoarding disorder which can correlate with various mental health conditions, including severe depression, schizophrenia or dementia.

Hoarding can have serious impacts on a person’s life, increasing the risk of disease due to the clutter making cleaning difficult, and bringing a risk of home hazards, such as tripping and fires.

“The municipality responded as soon as the welfare office finally decided to take action,” Phedonas said in a post on social media.

Despite knowing about the woman’s living conditions for years, previous attempts to rehouse the woman in an elderly care home had been unsuccessful, it was reported.

Police had been called to the scene to receive and record the valuables.

The mayor of Paphos said that upon entering the scene the crews could “not believe their eyes”.