Eviction threat on 'torment' road

Fiona Pilkington and Francecca Hardwick died in October 2007

Officials are considering whether to evict a Leicestershire family accused of tormenting a woman who killed herself and her daughter.

Fiona Pilkington, 38, died in a burning car with daughter Francecca Hardwick after years of abuse in Barwell.

After the inquest into their deaths members of the Simmons family, of Bardon Road, were among those accused of taking part in the harassment.

The local council said it has received further complaints about the family.

Council officers are investigating the possibility of eviction and a decision is expected within days.

We have got to look at this and ensure we do the best for everybody Council Leader David Bill

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council officials said they have received further complaints about the family and are looking at "a range of measures" with police.

One of their options is to try to evict Steven Simmons, 43, his 44-year-old wife Susanne, and their four children.

Alternatively they could send the family a warning letter, draw up an acceptable behaviour contract or gain an antisocial behaviour injunction.

Residents have started a petition to have the family evicted.

'Tougher action'

Bosworth MP David Tredinnick said: "It's perfectly feasible for the council to apply for an eviction order and they can go into hostel accommodation, they don't have to be in a house in Bardon Road.

"There needs to be tougher action. The community has made it perfectly clear it has had enough of this."

But council leader David Bill said: "The law lays down precisely what has to be done about housing and re-housing people and I'm afraid the council has to stick to the due process, which is that people have a right to be housed somewhere.

"Individual cases are dealt with by professional officers, not councillors, and the officers have been working on this and other issues raised ever since the result of the inquest came through.

"We have got to look at this and ensure we do the best for everybody."

Injunction expired

An inquest jury had found Ms Pilkington's requests for help after consistent abuse by a 16-strong gang of youths had been ignored by the authorities.

Ms Pilkington killed herself and her 18-year-old daughter when she set fire to her car in a lay-by in October 2007.

The inquest heard at one point the council imposed a 300-yard exclusion zone around Ms Pilkington's house in an attempt to stop the abuse, but failed to enforce it.

An injunction against the Simmons expired as neither the council nor police brought any further evidence against them in the year it was in place.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson has said that the agencies were wrong to regard such anti-social behaviour as "low-level crime" and claimed existing powers to deal with problem families had not been used properly.