A decade on from the tragedy

IT IS 10 years since Fiona Pilkington from Bardon Road in Barwell killed herself and her disabled daughter, Francecca, after suffering years of abuse at the hands of yobs.

The vulnerable single mother, who also had a son, Anthony, complained to police 33 times before she decided to end her life and that of her daughter.

She set fire to a car she was in with 18-year-old Francecca.

Among the catalogue of abuse the family suffered over a 10-year-period was having a cheque book and DSS disability book stolen, fires lit outside their home, youngsters urinating on their fence, eggs and stones thrown at it, along with a torrent of bullying and verbal abuse.

Anthony, who also had learning disabilities, was held at knife point in a garden shed.

A number of the incidents were also reported to Leicestershire County Council and Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, but the abuse continued.

An inquest into their deaths concluded the response of Leicestershire Police, Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council and Leicestershire County Council’s adult social services department all contributed to Ms Pilkington’s decision to kill herself and her daughter.

Two years after their deaths, an inquest jury concluded Ms Pilkington’s calls to the police “were not linked or prioritised”.

The jury said that “prior to February 2007, actions to control anti-social behaviour were not evident”, adding that the adult social services team did not act on reports of Ms Pilkington’s suicidal thoughts.

It concluded that “information sharing between agencies was not sufficient”.

Ms Pilkington’s death was recorded as suicide and Francecca’s as unlawful killing by her mum.

Coroner Olivia Davison, who oversaw proceedings, later wrote to the borough council about the process of gathering and recording information from victims of anti-social behaviour abuse.