https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12972759/bronson-battersby-final-fortnight-starved-dehydrated-five-days.htmlBronson Battersby's heartbreaking final fortnight: How tragic toddler's mother last saw him alive at Christmas before he was found curled up in the dark at his father's knees starved and dehydrated a week after social worker raised alarm to police
By Matthew Lodge and Dan Woodland
Published: 09:11, 17 January 2024 | Updated: 10:27, 17 January 2024
A toddler was tragically found curled up in the dark at the knees of his dead father weeks after his mother last saw him alive at Christmas. The body of two-year-old Bronson Battersby was found in the Skegness home of his dad Kenneth on January 9 after days of attempts to contact them by concerned social services. The child who was classed as vulnerable and was being checked on weekly was found in his pyjamas in the dark alongside the family's emaciated pet boxer dog Skylar who survived. The tragic discovery came a week after a social worker first raised an alarm about the pair to police after being unable to contact Kenneth at an arranged meeting on January 2. A neighbour had seen Kenneth and Bronson on Boxing Day, days after the child's mother Sarah Piesse last saw her son alive before Christmas. But 60-year-old Kenneth is thought to have succumbed to a heart attack before New Year with his son tragically passing away days later due to starvation and dehydration. Now a timeline has revealed the tragic final weeks of Bronson's life:
Before Christmas - Bronson's mother Sarah Piesse sees him alive for the last time and argues with the boy's father Kenneth Battersby.
Boxing Day - A neighbour goes to see Kenneth and Bronson at their home in Skegness.
December 27 - Sixty-year-old Kenneth messages the neighbour to thank her for checking in on them. He also receives a text from a social worker arranging a visit on January 2.
December 29 - The earliest date Kenneth could have died based on the results of a post-mortem.
January 2 - The social worker arrives at the house but gets no answer when knocking on the door. She contacts the police.
January 4 - The social worker returns to Kenneth's Skegness home and again receives no answer, She once again contacts the police.
January 9 - The social worker, using a key from Kenneth's landlord, gets into his home. She finds the bodies of Bronson and his father.
January 16 - Family get the results of a post-mortem showing Kenneth died of a heart attack and Bronson from dehydration and starvation.
Heartbroken family and friends have paid tribute to the pair who were only found when the social worker, who had contacted police twice in the space of a week with concerns about them, used the key of Kenneth's landlord to gain entry. They had visited Kenneth's home in Skegness, Lincolnshire on January 2, for a routine visit but received no reply, and after failing to find them through friends contacted the police. They visited again on January 4 but again there was no response from them. The social worker contacted the police again that day. They would contact police a third and final time after discovering the bodies of the pair on January 9. The toddler's mother, Sarah Piesse, 43, last saw her son before Christmas after a row with her ex and when she saw him next she was tragically unable to hold him as she identified his body as 'he had been left there too long'. Ms Piesse told The Sun: 'If social services had done their job Bronson would still be alive. I can't believe it. They can't let them get away with this. We have to be able to rely on social workers to keep our children safe. I've had the results of the post mortem. Bronson starved to death because his dad died. They think Kenneth died no earlier than December 29. It means if the social worker had pushed to get in when she got no reply on January 2 then Bronson would still have been alive.'
On Facebook, Bronson's sister Melaniie Battersby wrote: 'Beautiful little boy deserved so much better than this life. We love you Bronson, forever a part of us, and forever my baby brother.'
Adding her 'head and heart' were 'in pieces', she said: 'A lot of anger inside at minute when I just want to remember his little smile and soft nature instead. He were perfect.'
Mother-of-three Sarah last saw Bronson after getting into an argument with Kenneth before Christmas. A friend of the family said the toddler enjoyed watching the Cocomelon, adored nursery rhymes and often played his Little Tykes drum kit. They added that it was horrible to think that the 'gorgeous' boy who was 'always smiling and so loving' had been 'left in the dark and must have been terrified and so confused'.
Bronson was last seen alive by his neighbour after they visited the house on Boxing Day. Kenneth then messaged the same neighbour saying: 'Thanks so much for caring, it means the world to me and Bronson.'
That same day, the social worker texted Kenneth to arrange a visit on January 2. She contacted the police when she did not receive any answer during the visit and did the same again when she returned to the house on January 4. The social worker then decided to enter the property herself on January 9 using a key from the landlord. She found the bodies of Bronson and Kenneth and contacted police, who then rushed to the scene along with paramedics at around 3.25pm. The pair were pronounced dead at the scene. Kenneth was unemployed and had a pre-existing heart condition which had caused him to become severely jaundiced is the months leading up to his death. Bronson was also classified as vulnerable by social services meaning that he received weekly visits from social workers. The Sun said it understands the social worker has voluntarily taken time off. Heather Sandy, executive director for children's services, said: 'This was a tragic incident, and we are supporting the family at this difficult time. We are carrying out a review of the case alongside partner agencies to better understand the circumstances, and we await the results of the coroner's investigations as well. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those involved.'
A spokeswoman for Lincolnshire Police said: 'Police were made aware of the deaths of a 60-year-old man and a two-year-old child at a property in Skegness, at around 3.25pm on January 9. Investigations have been carried out and the deaths are not being treated as suspicious.'
MailOnline has contacted Lincolnshire Police for further comment.
