THE GRIEVING partner of a man who died suddenly in St Albans city centre on Monday is appealing for help to fly his body home to Romania. Robert Barbulescu, 41, collapsed and died of a heart attack outside the William Hill betting shop in Chequer Street a

THE GRIEVING partner of a man who died suddenly in St Albans city centre on Monday is appealing for help to fly his body home to Romania.

Robert Barbulescu, 41, collapsed and died of a heart attack outside the William Hill betting shop in Chequer Street at around 2am. Although an air ambulance was called, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

His partner Anca Dirmon, 32, who shared a home with him in Buttermere Close, St Albans, had been in the town with him when he collapsed but they had gone their separate ways, planning to meet up later.

When she was unable to contact him on his mobile phone, she searched frantically around the city centre for him for several hours before a lady in a pub told her what had happened. She later went to Welwyn Garden City's QEII Hospital where his body had been taken.

Anca, who works as a cleaner for an agency and includes the son of the Mayor of St Albans, Cllr Chris Oxley, among her clients, had lived with Robert in the city for three years.

He was unable to work because he had suffered heart problems last November.

She now has to find the money to fly his body to his native Romania on Tuesday and while she has been given some financial help with the �2,000 cost of taking him home, she is still short of the sum she needs.

She said today: "Everybody has been trying to help me but I don't have any family in this country."

Anyone who can help can contact Anca on 07868 241020.