I have to raise awareness of this kind of abuse so not one more single person feels so defeated and weakened they have to take their own life
steal. Councillor Simon Whelband appealed to people not to share “cute photographs” of their pets online.
Coun Whelband, who is a Harborough district councillor, said: “We know that criminals are very active online and look through media looking for opportunities to steal pets.
“We know that people love their dogs and want to share that on social media, but any photographs and other information could be very useful to thieves.
“There has been a spike in dog thefts during the coronavirus pandemic and people must be made aware of the risks of putting posts on Facebook and the like.
“Dog owners should think twice about putting cute photographs of their pets online because it could lead to the animal being stolen.
“Any information that could useful to a thief should be avoided. It is a sad reflection of the way things are, but this is how it is,”
Coun Whelband is chairman of the Harborough District Community Safety Partnership and it has teamed up with police following a spate of dog thefts.
They have bought two scanning devices to easily identify any microchipped dogs which are found and may have
been stolen.
A GRIEVING mother has laid bare the story of the domestic abuse her daughter’s ex-boyfriend inflicted on her, which led to her taking her own life.
The physical and mental abuse Meera Dalal suffered for years ultimately led to her ending her life in her family home in Syston in 2016.
The 25-year-old NHS professional had sought help from doctors and a report from her GP was read out as evidence at the original inquest in Loughborough, showing how fragile her mental state had become.
Meera, who worked at a private hospital in Leicester, took her own life after suffering violence and abuse from her ex-partner, an inquest into her death found.
Now, her mother Daksha has teamed up with author and domestic abuse campaigner Saurav Dutt to chronicle her grief and to reveal the ordeal her daughter went through in a book.
They hope to create a guide for other vulnerable people who may be experiencing abuse but don’t know where to turn.
Entitled Fall in Light: A Mother’s Story, the memoir explores the uncomfortable topics of sexual assault, psychological abuse and
various forms of coercion, violence and intimidation.
It also highlights subjects that are often considered taboo and contentious in South Asian communities, such as depression, mental wellness and suicide awareness.
“It may have been five years ago since I lost my darling daughter, but it feels like five minutes ago,” said Daksha.
“The loss of a child is an intense grief that you will never, ever be able to overcome.
“Sometimes I go to sleep and I don’t want to wake up.
“But I have to raise awareness especially in the South Asian com
munity - of this kind of abuse so that not one more single person feels so defeated and weakened that they have to take their own life.
“If I could help one girl, one child or somebody’s daughter, that would make me happy and give me some measure of peace.
“I know that there is help out there for the vulnerable but you have to be willing and brave enough to take it.
“I have to turn this unbearable pain into something positive to help those out there who are being abused and who want to move away from that dark place and move ahead with their lives.