10 years on from deaths of Frankie and Fiona
A DECADE on from the tragic deaths of Fiona Pilkington and her daughter Francecca Hardwick, authorities have made assurances that leassons have been learned.
A full and harrowing catalogue of incidents was contained in court papers sent to the High Court, setting out not only the unbearable stress and anxiety which drove Ms Pilkington to kill herself and her daughter, but the contact she had with various authorities, including Leicestershire Police.
The papers said that on a number of occasions Ms Pilkington spoke to a social worker from Leicestershire County Council about the issues she and her family were facing.
She told the social worker she was being bullied and she felt harassed and threatened.
The social worker discussed this with Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council and instructed Ms Pilkington to contact the council.
The writ said that Ms Pilkington mentioned she had previously dealt with the borough council.
Its safety officer visited Ms Pilkington and was informed about further episodes of anti-social behaviour and harassment, according to the writ.
This week, 10 years on from the tragedy, a spokesman for Leicestershire County Council said: “The deaths of Fiona Pilkington and Francecca were tragic events which continue to be remembered, and our thoughts remain with the family.
“We owe it to their memory to ensure we continue to work closely with partner agencies, such as the police and district councils, to provide the most effective support we can to vulnerable people.
“Thanks to a series of improvements that were made following this case, the county council and its partners work more closely than ever before to flag up and share concerns at an early stage and ensure that we provide support, if required.
“We take reports of antisocial behaviour very seriously and work closely with other agencies to identify problems and act on them quickly.”
A spokesman for the borough council said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Fiona Pilkington and Francecca at this time.
“Since their tragic deaths we have redoubled our efforts to work closely with partner agencies, such as the police and the county council, to recognise and tackle hate and offer all the support we can to all of our residents, especially those who are most vulnerable.
“We established an Endeavour team five years ago which is a dedicated partnership team comprising core members of the borough council community safety, environmental health, housing and street scene teams, the police, fire service and county council services.
“These professionals bring their skills together in order to resolve issues of anti-social behaviour, environmental concerns, safety and vulnerability and address community concerns as early as possible.
“Nobody should have to tolerate hate. We urge anyone who knows of any hate-related incident to report it by calling 0116 265 8263 or online at www.lei cs. gov.uk/ reporthate.”