The death of two-year-old Bronson Battersby, left for several days next to his father’s lifeless body, has shocked the United Kingdom and raised questions about possible failings by police and social services, AFP reports.

The lifeless body of the child was discovered on January 9, along with the body of his father, 60-year-old Kenneth, in the family’s apartment in Skegness, a seaside resort located in the north of England, News.ro reported.

He was last seen two weeks ago by a neighbor.

The British press writes that Kenneth Battersby would die of a heart attack a few days after Christmas, and the boy would be left alone, without access to water and food.

The police find out that the apartment was broken into after they found two bodies.

Sarah Peace, the mother of the blond boy, whose photo appears in the British press, said that her son died of starvation and blamed social services in Lincolnshire.

“If he had done his job, Bronson would be alive,” she accused in an interview given to the tabloid The Sun.

Kenneth Battersby is believed to have died around December 29, she told the tabloid.

The mother did not live with the youngest

The child’s mother, who has not lived with him or seen him since November, says she is “haunted” by the thought of her son struggling to feed himself after the death of “Kenny”, his former partner, with whom she has two other children.

Little Bronson and his father were monitored by local social services, whose last contact with Kenneth Battersby was on December 27.

“We are currently reviewing the case with our partners to better understand the circumstances and we await the outcome of the investigation,” Lincolnshire County Social Services Director Heather Sandy announced.

Social services say they called the police twice, the first on January 2 after a social worker came to the Battersby family’s home for a meeting, but no one responded.

“Looking for other addresses where the child could be”, the social worker returned to his home two days later and again reported to the police, when there were no signs of life.

Five days later, she took the key from the owner of the apartment, entered it and discovered the bodies.

This social worker – whose reaction should be appreciated – went on leave after this “traumatic experience”.

A “terrible” circumstance

Britain’s police force, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), received reports and confirmed on Thursday that it was investigating possible police misconduct in Lincolnshire.

“The horrific circumstances in which Kenneth and Bronson died are simply shocking,” said IOPC Regional Director Derrick Campbell.

“We will see if the police missed an opportunity to check Kenneth Battersby and Bronson earlier,” he said.

“This tragedy highlights the importance of our neighborhood. Skegness is a place with a real sense of community and I know how many residents will miss it,” commented the town’s Conservative MP Matt Workman.

The boy’s father had other health problems

Bronson’s half-sister, Melanie Battersby, tried to calm the situation on Friday.

She appreciated that the police and social services “did everything they could” and that they were not to blame.

She told the BBC she was “pleased” that the local authority was carrying out an internal investigation “to see if there were any failings or failings” before Bronson’s death.

Melanie Battersby, 37, said her father Kenneth had a heart attack a few months before his death.

Kenneth “adored” Bronson and “did everything for that little boy until his last breath,” she said. (photo source Dreamstime)