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Watchdog launches investigation into police over tragic death of Bronson Battersby

2024-01-19 00:00:00.0 独立报-英国新闻原网页

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The police watchdog has launched an investigation over the death of two-year-old Bronson Battersby, who reportedly starved after being left alone for days when his dad suffered a fatal heart attack.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it will investigate “whether there were any missed opportunities” by Lincolnshire Police officers before the deaths of the toddler and his father Kenneth Battersby, 60, at their home in Skegness, Lincolnshire.

Mr Battersby is believed to have died of a heart attack shortly after the pair were last seen alive on Boxing Day, leaving Bronson in the dark with no food or water.

The two-year-old was found dead next to his father’s body two weeks later, with preliminary tests reportedly finding that Bronson, who was under children’s services care, had died of dehydration and starvation.

Kenneth Battersby is believed to have died of a heart attack shortly after the pair were last seen alive on Boxing Day, leaving Bronson in the dark with no food or water for days

" srcset="https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/01/17/19/bronson-battersby-two-mum-sarah-872402812%20copy.jpg?quality=75&width=320&auto=webp 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/01/17/19/bronson-battersby-two-mum-sarah-872402812%20copy.jpg?quality=75&width=640&auto=webp 640w" src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/01/17/19/bronson-battersby-two-mum-sarah-872402812%20copy.jpg" data-gallery-length="4" class="i-amphtml-fill-content i-amphtml-replaced-content" pinger-seen="true">

Kenneth Battersby is believed to have died of a heart attack shortly after the pair were last seen alive on Boxing Day, leaving Bronson in the dark with no food or water for days

(Facebook)

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Lincolnshire County Council told The Independent that social services spoke with Battersby on 27 December to organise a visit to the home on 2 January. After receiving no response that day, the council said the social worker contacted police and made an unannounced visit two days later, after which they again contacted police.

However, it was another five days before the father and son’s bodies were found on 9 January, after a social worker was forced to gain access from the landlord to enter the property themselves.

Lincolnshire Police said on Wednesday that it had referred itself to the IOPC over the incident. The watchdog has now confirmed on Thursday that it is launching an independent investigation “to consider the police response”.

Bronson’s mother, Sarah Piesse, 43, said she was ‘haunted’ by the vision of her little boy desperately searching for food or water after his father died

(Facebook)

Derrick Campbell, regional director for the IOPC, said: “The harrowing circumstances in which Kenneth and Bronson Battersby died are truly shocking. Our sympathies go out to everyone affected by their sad deaths.

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