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'My brother is no street rat' says youth in burning car case
29.09.09
One of the youths accused of tormenting a mother and her disabled daughter in the years before they died in a burning car, defended his brother today after he was branded a "street rat".
Ross Simmons said it was disgusting his 16-year-old brother Alex was singled out following the deaths of Fiona Pilkington and her daughter Francecca Hardwick.
Following the inquest, the youngsters were named with their parents Steven Simmons, 43, and his 44-year-old wife Susanne, as being partly responsible for the ordeal of Ms Pilkington, her daughter and son Anthony, now 19.
The couple have two other sons, aged 15 and 12.
Speaking at the family's home, Ross Simmons defended his brother, who was labelled a "street rat" by neighbours.
The 20-year-old said: "It's disgusting them calling my brother a street rat. He is not a rat."
Speaking from a bedroom window at the family's run-down house, he then ducked back inside the house.
Yesterday a jury sitting at Loughborough Town Hall found the 38-year-old single mother took her daughter's life and committed suicide after years of abuse on Bardon Road in the Leicestershire village of Barwell.
In a damning verdict it found the failure of police to deal effectively with the antisocial behaviour that blighted their lives contributed to Ms Pilkington's decision to set light to the family's car while she sat in the driver's seat alongside her 18-year-old daughter.
Earlier Ross Simmons said his family had received threatening phone calls, in which the family were told to leave Barwell.
He told reporters: "People are threatening to kill my uncle and me. We don't know who they are, they just rung up and threatened us.
"This is terrible, my brothers are innocent. This is harassment."
During the inquest, the jury was told Ms Pilkington wrote twice to David Tredinnick, her local MP and the Tory Member for Hinckley and Bosworth.
In her second letter, written in February 2007, the full-time carer wrote: "I don't really know how to handle things anymore. How can I protect my teenagers from this sort of abuse? No one can help.
"I have had 11 years of misery. My hair is falling out. What do you do? Do you just let them take control of this lovely street? The kids on the street stop everyone living their lives."
Today, Mr Tredinnick described the deaths as a "huge tragedy".
He said: "It is very sad that it has taken something of this magnitude to bring these issues to the fore. The police have got to look at how they prioritise offences."
He added: "On a broader level, there has been a complete failure of Government policies.
"What went on in Barwell, and what happens in other locations across the country, is that you have a tiny number of people, often youths and young men, holding communities to ransom.
"There is something patently absurd when we have an integrated community like Barwell being held to ransom by half a dozen people."
Odd job man Steven Simmons returned to his house today and remained unrepentant.
He said: "I have nothing to say, now get off my driveway or I will call police. It's council property."
Reader views (49)
It is important for the Simmons "family", if that's what WE can call it, the police and above all the failing politicians (of all parties), to realise that action WILL be taken in due course. There will be justice.
WE know of them. And the public knows what is happening.
1(SC)
In loving memory of Ms. Pilkington and her daughter
and to the memory and honor of all the others the system has failed shamefully over the last few years. Broken Britain.
- 'Mick', Leicestershire
These feral scum infest so many neighbours around the UK. They torment those around them, and police seems to be powerless or unwilling to do anything about it. The parents are just as bad as the kids. They couldn’t care less what their offspring get up to and leave them to run streets.
Mark (Indiana USA) should be an inspiration to anybody who has to live with these scum. Time for some people power!!!
- Xtremely Worried, Britian (formerly Great)
Ok, he's not a street rat. Around here we call them "punks" Feel better?
- Trunk, US
There are too many of these yobs,vermin,gutter rats, in every area of society nowadays.Their lack of respect for others and even their own parents stems from that very source,their own parents.How is it that a group of adults can be construed by the law to be a menace(threat) and yet a group of young thugs are seen as just youngsters being bored.Whatever happened to the old law of 'breaching the peace'.These yobs who are really just an excuse for human beings and their miserable families should be evicted immidiately,they are just a blight on society.I abhor any punishment that is inhuman but as they are obviously not human,they deserve any punishment thrown at them.I hope their lives are made an absolute misery. I cannot say here what I would like to do to these animals.Jack straw,police commisioners,Local Government and the CPS,get your act together and punish the criminals in the way that they are punishing innocent members of society every day.As to their Father,he is not a man,just a feeble excuse for one.I am sure you can tell how disgusted I am with this horrible family and many more like them.
- Eddie., Deeside, North Wales.
And let's not forget that these '4 rat-bruvs' will be breeding other similar rat-minded filth in due course. What have the decent citizens of Barwell done to deserve such filth being allowed to live there ?
- Taff, Notts
Why is that in a country like Singapore where the law is tough but fair incidents like these do not happen? This government has a lot to learn about dealing with people like this.
"Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime" ... those are just meaningless words.
- I Taylor, Preston, Lancs.
Many years ago a family like this was harassing and causing distress to many of our elderly neighbours with whom my parents had gone through the war.They appealed to my dad to help them and he tried to reason with the father of this large brood of feral vicious children.
The father was abusive and threatening and, in the heat of the moment, my dad hit him, just once. I am not for a moment pretending that he was right to lose his temper and resort to a punch but the this man who had allowed his children to terrorise the neighbourhood called the police and they came in minutes.
The police, apparently could do nothing to protect decent, elderly people who had worked hard all their lives from these scumbags but they could turn out to protect the scumbags. My dad was charged, went to court and ended up with a criminal record. He was so ashamed that we moved house. The scumbags won.
- Stella, East London
No doubt the local council will say they can't move them because their "needs" have to be assessed !!
What about the needs of the community ???
- Sej, Reading, Berks.
People terrorised by a feral,sociopathic underclass.
This is exactly what our ruling elite has planned all along.
The alternative is a cohesive,moral population,who may pose a threat to the 'status quo'.
- Jimfred, London UK
I hope that something really bad comes knocking at their door.Shame on the Leicestershire Constabulary, and yes the Chief Constable should resign.
- Vini, London
Wherever this despicable lot get shovelled to, let the police forces be in no hurry to answer any calls if they have the brass neck to ask for help. That will send a strong message to all the other scumbag bullies who are engaged in terrorising people.
This was disability hate. Pure and simple. Scum of the earth.
- Dave, Didcot
this will happen again sadly ive long thought the last 3 months of school life should be community service for both sexes to teach them respect for others ect.silliest thing we did was to remove the cane slipper ect. i had both in my time at school ive never robbed or stole from anyone ever.
- C May, BIGGIN HILL
Ha Ha Ha Ha ! Hope they get hounded forever!
People wont forget this - neither should they.
- Avril, Kensal Green London
I live in Barwell - 99% of the people who live here are hard working decent people - Please don't think these idiots are typical - These few cause 99% of the problems in the village - It would be nice to have them evicted, but then somewhere else would get them and I wouldn't want that for anyone.What is the answer.
- Doris, Barwell, barwell, leicester
Hope the parents of the 16 strong gang are reading all the comments of those who've been sickened by this and others who've suffered similar. Hope too that all the nearby shops and pubs will refuse to serve them.
They've all turned themselves into outcasts over the years. As they all seem slow to recognise that their behaviour finally lead to the deaths of two of their victims, they should be treated like vermin and shunned.
- Jeff, Swindon
I blame the parents in this case. They obviously have failed to bring their children up as decent human beings and teach them any sort of moral values. Both the parents and the children should be held to account for this.
- Deborah Hayward, London
BRING THE CANE BACK!! That's what such lawless youths need in "Broken New Britain" of today. Asbo boasting Alex Simmons would soon learn to behave like a decent lad after he got "six of the best" on his backside.
- John Lenhart, central london.
Await costly protection programmes, re location, new identity, interesting how no expense is spared for some of the most vile of offenders, yet the police turned a blind eye to the suffering of that poor woman and her daughter.
- Frank, Dorchester Dorset
I am stunned that no one seems to have commented on the letters she wrote to her MP David Tredinnick . Like all MP's ( labour or conservative) they don't give a flying fig about their constituents. Mr Tredinnick blames government policies. Why should that have stopped him from stepping in and preventing this family from being harrassed. He could have insisted that the police do something. Ah, wait.. maybe this is where his second home is!! Absolutely disgraceful. He is equally guilty of neglicting the plight of this poor unfortunate lady and her daughter. As for the scum bag family, if I was living on that street, I would recruit the help of my neighbours and give them a taste of their own medicine. Now, this scum will get re-housed, you wait and see and the tax payer will foot the bill. They will get the protection they don't deserve becuase now the police will have to act because of the findings of the investigation. Makes me hurl !
- Maya - London, London
If her Tory mp David Tredinnick had being doing his job properly he would have tried to ensure her local police were doing their job properly, after all thats what he is there for. Why didn't HE bring the issue to the fore, after all Ms Pilkington wrote him two letters in 2007 pleading with him for help.He is very quick though to try and get some political capital out of this sad case,putting the blame on government policies. Probably too busy working out his expenses claims.
- James, Manchester England
Nu Labour = Nu Inner City Vermin.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Ignorant, pikey, street rat scum! Bottom line!
- Ronnie Way, London
Calling Rent-a-Mob...
- John, London
Another episode of the 're-active', independent inquiry holding Labour governement...
Unfortunately, this isn't the first case of teenage idiots causing mayhem and allow me to provide the official Government 'soundbite' - "We're holding an inquiry for us to learn from our mistakes, and allow us to not create the same mistakes in the future"... Blah Blah
- Scrappy-Doo, London
And what lovely parents he must have!
- Andy, london
So now they are being harassed. Good, perhaps it will give them a taste of what they have been dishing out for all this time.
- Dennis, Taplow. UK
We had a few of these worms in our neighborhood long ago. The police did nothing so we did.
- Mark, Indiana USA
Rach you're exactly right. Neighbourhoods have to band together. If the Police refuse to do anything then we have to do it ourselves. If the scum complain then it's their word against yours and if you stick together there is no case. We have gone beyond the point where it's sensible to implore people to rely on the authorities.
- Mark, London
In addition to the soft treatment meted out to these scumbag offenders there is a stupid legal reason why some cannot be named. I read that a 17 year old was given this protection recently.The mind boggles !
T H Leeds
- Thomas Hayes, Leeds UK
Calling him a rat is nothing. Words do not describe what a pathetic excuses for a human beings this lot are. Shows that even the father does not have an ounce of decency.
- Jk, London
This is terrible, my brothers are innocent. This is harassment' I bet they get more police protection than Ms Pilkington. There could not be a better example of the absolute necessity for locally elected chief police officers. Lets hope when the local and national politicians are up for re-election the people remember the Pilkingtons and do their duty. Get rid of the useless time-servers!
- Sid, hull
Ah diddums, so the poor Simmons family are scared. Maybe it just might sink into their thick skulls just what misery they have caused others.
No doubt these scum will get Police protection if they ask for it.
- Carl, London
"I have nothing to say, now get off my driveway or I will call police. It's council property."
If he does call them I bet the police bother to turn out for him.
- Mark Myword, London
"People are threatening to kill my uncle and me. We don't know who they are, they just rung up and threatened us. This is terrible, my brothers are innocent. This is harassment."
I see, so it's okay for you to do it to others but when it happens to you you think it's despicable and presumably want the police to nip it in the bud?
- Bob, Cheam
Street rat #2 said "People are threatening to kill my uncle and me. We don't know who they are, they just rung up and threatened us......This is terrible ..... This is harassment."
Well funny how awful it is when it happens to you isn't it? Any remorse?
- A Londoner, London
Chav scum - should be evicted.
- Nowan King, London
Ahhh bless....fancy the nasty newspapers printing such a thing, enough to put him right off his can of Stella
- Blake, Stevenage UK
If anyone's missing a small girl's pink bike, i think I know where it might be...
- Harry, London
Strange how quickly scum like this turn to the police for protection when they themselves are the law breakers. Next THEY will be complaining that THEIR human rights are being infringed. Well, first of all, they should try to prove that they are humans, and not the street rats that they are so accurately called.
- Minority Working Person, London/England
Strange how quickly scum like this turn to the police for protection when they themselves are the law breakers. Next THEY will be complaining that THEIR human rights are being infringed. Well, first of all, they should try to prove that they are humans, and not the street rats that they are so accurately called.
- Minority Working Person, London/England
Good to see they are starting to get a taste of their own medicine.
- David, l.ondon
Yes, I quite agree, he's not a rat. That's an insult to rats. Try scum, or call him what he really is - a wannabe-torturer, who has so little humanity that he doesn't even bother to pretend to be sorry.
I'm even more angry about the police and the courts, though. There should everywhere and always be zero tolerance for vermin such as these. If the law doesn't require minor offences to be treated as major offences when repeated against the same victim, it needs changing. By the third repeat offence, he should have been locked up. By the fifth (if a short stay in a prison didn't work), locked up for years. And then two innocents would still be alive.
- Nigel, London
After two years it's time this ferral dysfunctional family and the others, are named, photographed and exposed. Everywhere in Britain they go now, people will recognise them and know them for who and what they are. They've been getting away with it so long they don't even know right from wrong anymore. None of them knows why neighbours around them hate them. It's silence that allows these kinds of people to terrorise and keep those around them in fear. Without people standing up to them and their terror reigns, nothing can stop them. These problem families mushroom as the kids grow up to have children whose only aim in life is also to cause as much damage to others as possible.
- Roger, Essex
"He said: "I have nothing to say, now get off my driveway or I will call police. It's council property.""
And I bet you the police would show up right away!
- Juma, london, uk
Maybe we should go and stand outside their house and intimidate them. see how they like it. Bring some eggs and light some fireworks and just stand outside. we probably wont be allowed to have that peaceful protest as these type of people are protected by the police a lot more than us law abiding citizens.
they are just all lazy scum with no respect for others or even themselves.
- Rach, London
Whole family are a disgrace.
Why are they still in a council house? throw them out and let them go and find their own accomodation and let some family worthy move in.
Its time neighbours stood together against these kinds of families and get them out anyway they can.
- Sean, London
Someone remind me, why did we get rid of borstals again?
- Kevin T, Beckenham, Kent
I agree with the brother "It's disgusting them calling my brother a street rat. He is not a rat." ....
...no he gives rats a bad name...
- Ade, London
He's absolutely right. Calling his bro a rat gives a bad name to rats. Street scum is probably a more accurate description!
- Chris, London
