The tragic deaths of a toddler and his father have left UK officials seeking answers as to how they were allowed to die unnoticed for so long. Two-year-old Bronson Battersby was found alone in the house in Skegness with his father, Kenneth Battersby, on January 9th. It is believed that after Kenneth suffered a heart attack, Bronson subsequently starved to death. Policing minister Chris Philp has said “all of us want answers” over the heartbreaking deaths, an image that “brought tears to the eyes”.
Lincolnshire County Council is conducting a “rapid review” into the involvement of social services. Lincolnshire Police has also referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). This follows the council stating that a social worker “had contact” with Mr Battersby on December 27th, and had planned to make a home visit on January 2nd, which was unsuccessful due to an unresponsive door. A second visit was attempted on January 4th, then on the 9th the social worker contacted Mr Battersby’s landlady to gain access to the property. It was then that they discovered the bodies of both father and son.
Speaking on the Radio 4’s Today programme, former HM Inspector of Constabulary Zoe Billingham said there needed to be “really clear communication from different agencies”, and that it was the police’s role “to join up the dots”. She highlighted that police officers and social workers had “tough” jobs, and it was important not to “immediately jump to point the finger of blame”.
Lincolnshire County Council has stated that the rapid review would take around 15 days to complete, and findings would be passed to a national panel to decide on the next steps. While the case is not being treated as suspicious, the matter has been passed to the coroner, and police have initiated a review with partners to better understand the details of the event
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