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Bradford council admits it ‘let Star down’ as mother and partner jailed
Saying they needed to "understand why opportunities to better protect Star were missed", they added they "deeply regret" missing warning signs that could have saved her life.
Bradford council has admitted it 'let Star down' and that warning signs were missed, as her mother and partner were jailed following the toddler's tragic death.
In a joint statement released today by the Bradford Partnership - Working Together to Safeguard Children (Bradford Council, Bradford District and Craven Clinical Commissioning Group, and West Yorkshire Police), officials called her death "devastating" and said there was 'much to learn'.
Saying they needed to "understand why opportunities to better protect Star were missed", they added they "deeply regret" missing warning signs that could have saved her life, reports The Telegraph and Argus.
The statement also referenced another recent tragic case of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, which has made headlines in recent weeks and spurred calls to serve life imprisonment sentences to child murderers.
Star Hobson's mother, Frankie Smith, and her partner, Savannah Brockhill, have been found guilty of the toddler's murder following months of physical abuse. They will be sentenced on Wednesday.
During the trial, a jury heard the toddler from infant from Keighley was subject to abuse including punching, kicking and stamping in the weeks leading to her tragic death.
The full statement from the Bradford Partnership - Working Together to Safeguard Children said: "We want to say first and foremost that we’re sorry for the death of Star.
"This was a child’s life cut cruelly short. Two people have been brought to answer for their crimes - one has been convicted of murder and one of causing or allowing the death of a child.
“Anyone who has followed the trial will want to know what more could have been done to help protect Star. As agencies who have a joint responsibility to protect children, this has been at the forefront of our minds.
"Any death of a child, wherever it happens, is one death too many, but this happened in our district, in our community and has had a devastating impact.
“We are very aware as partners that there is much that we need to learn from this case. We have already put in place actions that will improve our practice so that we learn those lessons. But we need to fully understand why opportunities to better protect Star were missed.
“We must also learn everything we can from the awful murder of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes. A national review has been established to enable this to happen. If we can contribute our learning to this review, we will do.
“We offered support and assistance to Star’s family for what we believed their needs to be, at that given time, but we all deeply regret that not all the warning signs were seen that could have led to firmer statutory enforcement action.
“A Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review is being written by an independent author. This is almost complete and, now the trial is concluded, the review will be finalised and published in January 2022. It will provide partners and colleagues in our district and across the country with clear recommendations so we can better protect children in our care."
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Yorkshire Wildlife Park shares major update after man killed in tiger attack
Yorkshire Wildlife Park has shared an update this afternoon, after a man died in a horrifying tiger attack at the zoo yesterday.
The wildlife park, which remains closed today, has informed customers of the future of the tiger involved, Altai.
Emergency services rushed to the park near Doncaster at around 1.30pm on Saturday, after reports of a man climbing into the tiger enclosure.
Tragically, the man involved in the tiger attack lost his life.
The zoo has said that its 'thoughts and heartfelt sympathies' remain with the man's family and loved ones.
They also said that its staff team have been left 'deeply affected' by the tiger attack and will be receiving specialist support.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park has now shared that Altai, the male tiger in question, is 'safe and well' and will not be euthanised as a result of the incident.
In a statement, they said: "We would like to thank everyone who has expressed their concern following yesterday's tragic incident.
"Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies remain with the family and loved ones of the man who sadly lost his life.
"The park will be closed today while the staff team who were deeply affected by events receive specialist support.
"Many, many people have contacted us about Altai, the tiger. We can reassure everyone that he is safe and well and will not be euthanised as a result of this incident."
Leeds City Council confirms plans to repair historic Lower Kirkgate with work set to begin this month
Clementine Hall
Leeds City Council has confirmed that work to stabilise buildings on Lower Kirkgate is set to begin later this month, with repairs expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
Back in 2024, Lower Kirkgate in Leeds city centre was closed following the partial collapse of a building, leaving one of the city's oldest streets inaccessible.
Since then, the street has remained closed while plans were developed to address the structural issues affecting the buildings.
Now, almost two years after the initial incident, the council has confirmed that a contractor has been appointed to carry out the work.
The buildings are privately owned, but Leeds City Council says it will step in to carry out the stabilisation work to prevent further deterioration and protect the historic properties.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We are pleased that, following months of careful planning and preparation, we are now in a position to begin stabilising these privately owned buildings.
“A contract has been awarded for the work, which is scheduled to get under way later this month and is expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
“It should be stressed that the situation on Lower Kirkgate is not of the council's making, with the owners of the buildings allowing their condition to deteriorate over many years and then failing to take the necessary steps to address the resultant structural issues.
“By stepping in and carrying out this work itself, the council will be able to arrest the deterioration of important heritage assets on one of Leeds’s oldest streets. As always, we thank the local community for their continued patience and support.”
Further details about the work, including when the street may be able to reopen, have not yet been confirmed.
The Hoot -
14th December 2021 
