'We're all to blame': Mum and daughter lay dead for months

3 hours ago Share Save Katie Thompson BBC News Navtej Johal BBC News, Midlands correspondent Share Save

Other Alphonsine Djiako Leuga and her daughter Loraine Choulla came to the UK in 2016 from Italy

How did a mother and her 18-year-old daughter lie dead in their home for months and nobody knew? This is just one of the questions examined during the inquest into the deaths of Alphonsine Djiako Leuga and Loraine Choulla. Loraine had Down's syndrome and her mother was her carer. They were known to social services. And yet they had "lain undiscovered for some time" in their home in Radford, Nottingham, last May. It's a tragic case that has left people in the community not only blaming the authorities, but also themselves.

Other Alphonsine, 47, and her daughter got to know residents in the community

"What went wrong? Did the system fail her? That's the question," a friend told the BBC. She had met Alphonsine, who was born in Cameroon, outside the Victoria Centre in Nottingham when they had just arrived in the UK in 2016 from Italy. She had two daughters with her at the time. It was a time of desperation. "I met them on the street. They had nowhere to go," she explained. "She was speaking French. I spoke in French." They all stayed with the friend, who did not want to be named, at her house for up to eight weeks. "I took her in because she is a Cameroonian. I am a Cameroonian too, my kids are not home either," she added.

The house had fallen into a state of disrepair before the pair's bodies were found

Later in 2019, Alphonsine, 47, and her two daughters moved into their council house in Hartley Road and got to know locals in the community. The older of the two children, who is in her 20s, moved out in April 2022, the inquest heard. One shopkeeper affectionately called Alphonsine "Cameroon woman", and described her as an easy-going person with a happy daughter. But hard times followed, and Alphonsine would go on to tell locals her heating had been cut off and Loraine was not going to school, which had affected her benefits and ability to pay the bills. A local business let her buy food on credit. "Whenever she would get money she would clear her bill," the employee said. "Maybe £20 worth of items... just little meal for a few days." She would buy frozen food and dry items and what her daughter wanted, according to the staff member, who did not want to be named. But it was winter, it was cold and she could not heat her home as December approached. The house appeared unkempt and had signs of disrepair. The shop worker said at this time, Alphonsine visited the store with a swollen face. "I was asking, 'are you ok? 'What's happening'? She said the cold is too much," they said. The inquest - which began on Monday at Nottingham Coroner's Court - heard Alphonsine had begun to disengage with housing and social services in 2021, refusing access to her house.

'System is wrong'

It meant inspections did not take place and her gas supply was subsequently capped. When she asked for it to be turned back on, she didn't grant access to her property. Alphonsine and Loraine remained without hot water and heating from 2023. By January 2024, Alphonsine was critically ill having just spent days in hospital with very low iron levels. On 2 February, she told an ambulance call handler she needed help for herself and her daughter. "Would you send an ambulance? Please come, please," were the last words she said on the phone before the call ended. The ambulance never came as it had been wrongly labelled as an "abandoned call", and Alphonsine died first - between 2 and 8 February - of pneumonia, leaving Loraine, who relied "entirely" on her mum, to fend for herself. She died weeks later of malnutrition and dehydration. When news of their deaths emerged, the community was left shocked and with questions: How could this happen? How did they not see the signs? "It's so upsetting. She and her daughter were probably in that house undetected for maybe months," the shop worker said. "It means there is problem in the community. Everybody is by themselves. Nobody can check [on] each other. "I believe someone like that should be more supported. The system is wrong."

Deborah Williams lived next door to Alphonsine and Loraine

Next-door neighbour Deborah Williams described seeing the mother struggling with Loraine at times, who was non-verbal and physically strong for her age. She told the BBC she would overhear Alphonsine helping her with her language skills. "You'd hear her mum trying to support her with speaking. It was almost like you could tell that mum was reading baby books and wanting her daughter to copy," she said. Deborah said the pair were good neighbours and recalled last seeing them at the start of 2024. At this point she said the garden was overgrown, there was mould on the windows - which were left ajar in winter - and the back gates were in need of repair. But the "telling signs" went unnoticed among the wider community.

New tenants are now living in the council-owned property

"I live in the area, where it's a not a bad thing to keep yourself to yourself," Deborah said. "You do kind of want to be invisible. You don't want any trouble. You don't want to draw attention. "It just never really occurred to me that it could be that severe a situation, but those are telling signs that something is not right." In happier times, she described seeing the pair out and about with matching hairstyles. "Mum's deciding that she's going to have a yellow or an orange weave, the daughter's going to have the same one as well," Deborah recalled. She had had two visits from social services enquiring about the whereabouts of the pair and felt the council, as a landlord, had a responsibility to them. Social care staff attempted to visit Alphonsine and Loraine in early 2024 but when it appeared to them the house was empty, they left. The coroner said there were "missed opportunities, particularly by Nottingham City Council social care teams, to escalate concerns" around the pair and to involve police in welfare checks. Deborah added Alphonsine and Loraine's quiet nature - they weren't a nuisance or noisy - meant no action was triggered. "That's a sad thing," she said. "The daughter was so reliant on the mum - she wouldn't even know how to get a key and to let herself out. "She can't shout, raise an alarm of some sort. They [Loraine] didn't have the functionality to do something like open the front door, because that person, your person was everything. That person was responsible for your life."

Jamil Ellahi says people should have been more alert to the situation

When police discovered the pair, there was evidence teenager Loraine had tried to feed herself, the inquest heard. There were two unopened tins of tuna found in the microwave and half-eaten food in the bedroom, including bread and raw pasta. Jamil Ellahi, who owns a barbershop opposite their home, said he felt angry when he found out about their deaths. "I felt sad because obviously I'm across the road and used to see her every week or so," he said. "I blame myself. I blame everybody who lives round here, because we should have been more of a community and we should look after our neighbours. "The ignorance of not talking to [a] neighbour next-door, not knowing the name, that's the problem." Jamil thinks if communities were more sociable, problems would not go under the radar. "We're all to blame. You can't just put the finger on one person, or one society, or one group. It's all of us. "We all, we all have to take a lesson from this." Additional reporting by Asha Patel If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, support is available via the BBC Action Line.

Trans tribunal phone notes were not checked in person

13 hours ago Share Save Share Save

BBC Dr Beth Upton had made a bullying and harassment complaint to NHS Fife

Phone records in a tribunal involving a row between a nurse and a trans doctor were not examined in person or forensically. Peter Donaldson, an information security manager for NHS Fife, instead joined a Teams call with Dr Beth Upton in May this year to assist in downloading notes from a mobile phone. The notes related to encounters the doctor had with Sandie Peggie, a nurse at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. Mr Donaldson told the tribunal that "time was limited" but that it would have been "more beneficial" to have carried out the exercise in person.

PA Media Sandie Peggie has taken NHS Fife to an employment tribunal

Ms Peggie and Dr Upton had a row on 24 December 2023 in the women's changing rooms, regarding whether the doctor should be allowed in there. The nurse was then suspended after Dr Upton made an allegation of bullying and harassment and cited concerns about "patient care". Ms Peggie has since lodged a claim against NHS Fife and Dr Upton, citing the Equality Act 2010.

The tribunal previously heard Dr Upton had recorded details of alleged incidents involving Ms Peggie prior to Christmas Eve in written notes on a phone. When asked if the "most reliable" way to ensure the phone information was accurate would have been to carry out a forensic examination, Mr Donaldson agreed. He also agreed that an in-person meeting would have been better than a Teams call. Mr Donaldson said he could not offer a technical explanation for why the notes, including one entitled Weird Incident, showed a creation date of October 2023 but listed an edited date of August 2023. The witness told the tribunal "he didn't believe for a minute that [Dr Upton] was trying to lead us up to the garden path" with evidence. It was later stated by Dr Upton's legal team that other notes on the phone unrelated to Ms Peggie - including a shopping list - had the same issue with dates.

Timeline of the Sandie Peggie tribunal

The settling of Alexander Isak's future "has to be right for Newcastle", says manager Eddie Howe.

The striker is considering his future at the club amid interest from Liverpool.

Isak did not travel with the squad to Singapore on Thursday, with Newcastle saying he had a thigh injury, but the Sweden international wants to look at a move.

A source has told BBC Sport that Liverpool are still interested in the 25-year-old, despite signing Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike for an initial £69m.

Speaking before Sunday's pre-season friendly against Arsenal, Howe said: "Of course there are things going on behind the scenes.

"He will be aware he is in the news every day and I'm sure that is not easy for anyone in that situation. Conversations that happen with Alex and the club, or Alex and myself, will stay private for obvious reasons.

"We do share a good relationship. He has been magnificent for us since he joined. He's very popular in the dressing room.

"We would love him to continue his journey at Newcastle. Although, whatever happens has to be right for Newcastle."

Isak, signed from Real Sociedad in August 2022 for around £60m, has a contract until June 2028. He scored 27 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions for Newcastle last season.

Last Saturday, after Isak missed a 4-0 friendly defeat by Celtic, Howe said the player would "absolutely" be part of the squad for the games in Singapore and South Korea.

Howe says Isak is in Newcastle having his injury assessed, adding: "Hopefully he'll be back soon and playing in the black and white shirt. That's what we all want to see."

He added: "He first mentioned his thigh before the Celtic game. We assumed it would be a very minimal injury, nothing too serious. I think on Monday after the Celtic game, he went in for training very early and he didn't feel right."

Howe said he has not yet had direct contact Newcastle's board about Isak's future, but added that any contract talks would take place "at a later date".

Asked if Isak would stay, he added: "I said after the Celtic game I certainly hope he stays and I said I was confident he would stay.

"I don't see anything that will change that opinion of mine at the moment - but it's football and who knows what the future may bring?

"We are in a very strong position financially.

"We are determined to be successful, be ambitious. We have got a great season ahead of us and we need to add to the squad and continue to improve. The journey will continue in an upward trajectory and that's what we all want."

Sleep, exercise, hydrate - do we really need to stick to recommended daily doses?

9 hours ago Share Save Ruth Clegg Health and wellbeing reporter Share Save

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It felt like there was a collective sigh of relief when a study, published this week, suggested 10,000 steps a day isn't the health utopia we had all been led to believe. The news that we only had to reach 7,000 steps was enough to quite literally stop us in our fervent step-counting stride. So what about some of the other health targets that many of us swear by? Can we fall short of the mark but still live long, healthy and happy lives? We've taken a handful of commonly cited healthy lifestyle benchmarks, examined them with various experts to get an idea of why they exist, explored the health claims, and, most importantly asked if there is any wriggle room. Is sleep so important that we have to spend so much of our lives doing it? How much exercise is enough? What about drinking water? How much do we really need? Disclosure - the below is not medical advice, it's more of an inspection of many of the health ideals we have on our radar.

Water (6-8 glasses a day)

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According to the NHS, the average grown-up should be drinking between six and eight glasses (1.5-2 litres) of water a day. However, maybe we don't need to cart our fancy flagons around with us as much as we thought. Prof Neil Turner, kidney specialist at the University of Edinburgh, says as humans we existed for thousands of years without knowing what a pint or a litre was. "I mean, mice don't need flashing water bottles telling them how much to drink - why do we?" he says. "Our bodies are set up to do things just right - we eat when we are hungry, we breathe when we need to breathe, and we drink when we are thirsty." Oh. Is it really that simple? According to Prof Turner, who has seen a lot of kidneys in his time, that rule applies to the vast majority of us. Those with specific conditions, like a kidney disorder, may have to drink more. He says if our urine is dark, in the general healthy population, we shouldn't panic that we haven't drank enough - that is the kidney doing its job. It is reserving water in our body, he explains, and our body should tell us that we feel thirsty and then we will get a drink. Dr Linia Patel, a performance nutritionist, disagrees. We might drink different amounts, she says, due to factors like our size, how warm we are, whether we've been drinking alcohol, but she feels having a target of 1.5 to 2 litres is a good thing - especially for women. "I would definitely say from a women's health point of view, where I work, what I see is a lot of the symptoms [associated] with being dehydrated. It might be fatigue, constipation, brain fog, feeling hungry [or] cravings." She says that if the problem is related to hydration then it's "an easy one to get right, if you're consistent with it".

Sleep (7-9 hours a night)

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Moving on to sleep - the NHS recommends seven to nine hours a night for the average adult, and there's not much wriggle room to be had there. Prof Ama Johal, a specialist in sleep disorders, says sleep is vital; without it we are beginning to shave years off our lives. "The evidence is there, there are huge bodies of research which show that the health benefits are multiple. "A good night's sleep - that's at least seven hours of quality sleep - reduces the risk of obesity, diabetes, depression and finally, it lowers mortality rates." He points to a study which used 10,000 British civil servants - those that slept for fewer than five hours a night had an increased risk of early death. But could we shave an hour off the minimum recommended - and settle for six hours a night? "No," Prof Johal says. "As soon as we lower the limit then there's a risk people will think it's ok to sleep for less time." Cat napping? "Unfortunately not," he says, "Our bodies have very different reactions to naps through the day, and eventually if we tried to make up the hours we were missing overnight by sleeping through the day, we would struggle to fall asleep at night." But all is not lost, nappers among us - there are studies that suggest a short snooze in the day can keep the brain youthful, and even compensate for poor or broken sleep the night before. Prof Johal suggests that for those who struggle to get the recommended amount, try to target a few nights of good sleep a week, and just being "more aware that sleep is so important".

Emily & Lucy Emily Thornton and Lucy Hird - active walkers, but they struggle to sleep

Emily and Lucy are two avid walkers from Manchester. But alongside their love of walking, the two women share a less healthy trait: they struggle to nod off because of their anxiety. But they say the target of seven hours sleep a night is something they "are working towards".

Exercise (150 mins a week)

Emily and Lucy are, however, "definitely nailing it" when it comes to exercise. Through their group, Soft Girls who Hike, they have found a love of walking which has not only improved their mental health, they say, but connected them with many other women. They don't try to meet all the healthy benchmarks on their radar, they explain, because "life just gets in the way". But they are doing 7,000 steps a day and taking long, low impact walks at the weekend. The Chief Medical Officer recommends doing 150 minutes of exercise a week and two strength training sessions. Is that achievable for most? Dr Sinead Roberts, a sports nutritionist who trains elite athletes, is pragmatic in her approach. While moderate strength training and physical activity is vital for maintaining muscle mass, she says, as well as resistance to injuries and supporting our immune systems, you have to adapt the recommendations to fit with your life. "Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise people," she says. "This phrase really does apply here. "I have friends who do nothing - and that really does show, I say, 'You're walking like an 80-year-old!' "But if you are doing one strength session a week and some moderate exercise then that is definitely a good thing, just try and do more if you can." She uses an analogy of a highway - the more things we can do to stay healthy the wider the road, which, in turn means we can go off course sometimes without careering up a grassy verge. "All those benchmarks are interlinked - you can't just do one healthy thing and ignore the rest. Equally you don't need to put so much pressure on yourself to achieve them all." This attitude chimes with Emily and Lucy, who say they happily "chip away" at some of the health benchmarks. "For example, we might do five minutes of meditation [which is] better than nothing, but we wouldn't stress about not hitting the recommended goal."

Mindfulness (10 mins a day)

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Through its Every Mind Matters campaign, the NHS recommends 10 minutes of mindfulness a day. Basically, instead of pondering the future or thinking about the past, you pay attention to the moment, noticing what is going on inside and outside of ourselves, letting our thoughts pass by without judgement. Some studies suggest activities like mindfulness can have a positive effect and also help change the structure of the brain. Psychologist Natasha Tiwari, founder of The Veda Group, says 10 minutes is a good start to "give the mind time to settle, and the brain enough time to truly benefit" from the process of mindfulness. But many of us lead busy lives, and to carve out 10 minutes in the day can be a luxury. In some respects, could having these targets make life more stressful? Ms Tiwari disagrees - it's less about the time spent and more about the awareness of mindfulness and bringing it to our everyday lives. "Even brief pauses," she explains, "can still have a positive impact".