Questions after girl's drug death

Andrea Townsend [L] and Gemma Evans were both found guilty by a unanimous verdict Heroin lifestyle 'another world'

An expert has asked why a teenager who died of a heroin overdose was permitted to live with her drug-abusing family.

The mother and half-sister of Carly Townsend, 16, were convicted of manslaughter through gross negligence after failing to call help for her.

Martin Blakebrough, chief executive of drugs charity Kaleidoscope, questioned the role of social services in the case of the Llanelli family.

Swansea Local Safeguarding Children's Board said it was conducting a review.

A Swansea Crown Court jury found both Andrea Townsend, 46, and Gemma Evans, 25, guilty after hearing that they knew Carly had taken heroin, but put her to bed instead of calling an ambulance, thinking she would "sleep it off".

Evans helped her half-sister buy the drugs which killed her and Carly had been hospitalised twice for heroin overdoses.

The jury also heard how Carly's father had died through drug misuse alongside about 20 of her family's friends.

I've seen grandparents and their children and now their grandchildren are all on heroin... that's the reason why we have to try and find the key to unlock this problem Kaleidoscope chief executive Rev Martin Blakebrough

Mr Blakebrough told BBC Radio Wales: "In this case you wonder why social services allowed a 16-year-old to be with a parent whose drug problem is pronounced, the sister's [drug problem] is pronounced, the father died of it," he said.

"I question why there wasn't intervention before," he told the Good Evening Wales programme.

"It's a very sad tale. It's obviously shocking to the majority of us that you can be connected to such an entrenched drug-taking community.

"But unfortunately, that is the reality for some people in our country.

"The problem you have is when people almost accept the risk of heroin and the closeness of death. They almost take it casually.

Carly lay dying while her family watched television, the court heard

"If you've had your mum, your dad, your sister, your friends, your relatives, all have serious heroin issues, someone who has possibly taken too much is probably not seen as serious.

"They probably thought 'Put them in a recovery position and they'll be fine in the morning'."

He said the way to prevent another case like Carly's was to work more closely with children who were surrounded by drugs.

'Highest risk'

"One of the things that we have tried to do with the Welsh assembly and with the [UK] government is work with children of drug dependents," he explained.

"They are at the highest risk of themselves becoming drug users.

"I've seen grandparents and their children and now their grandchildren are all on heroin.

"That's the reason why we have to try and find the key to unlock this problem. Otherwise we're going to have more deaths of this magnitude."

Swansea Local Safeguarding Children's Board, which runs the services which protect children from drug abuse in Llanelli, said a review into Carly's death was under way.

"Under Welsh Assembly Government guidance the Local Safeguarding Children's Board undertakes a case review whenever a child dies and abuse or neglect is suspected," said a spokesman.

"The review has already begun, involving South Wales Police, Swansea Council, Carmarthenshire County Council and the NHS.

"The review will examine the circumstances leading up to Carly's death and whether there are any lessons to be learned."