Government rejects grieving Yorkshire mother's campaign for a new drugs law

Kerry Roberts with her daughter Leah Hayes, who died after taking MDMA in 2019

Kerry Roberts has been calling on the Government to introduce ‘ Leah’s Law’, which makes selling drugs to children under 16 a specific criminal offence that carries longer prison sentences.

It comes after her daughter Leah Hayes suffered a cardiac arrest when she took MDMA with friends in a Northallerton car park in 2019 and the teenagers who supplied the Class A drug - Connor Kirkwood and Mitchell Southern - were ordered to serve 21 months and 12 months respectively in young offenders institutions.

The Government responded to her campaign this week, after her petition gained more than 10,000 signatures, but said it has “no plans to make it a specific offence to supply a child with drugs”.

Ms Roberts said she is “not shocked” by the response and she is refusing to accept defeat.

She said: “To be honest, it gives me more of a reason to fight. They have no plans to change it, so I have to make them change it.

“This could take years and that means I’ll fight for years.”

In its written response, the Government said selling a banned substance to anyone is already an offence under Section 4 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the law “does not differentiate between different classes of person based on age or any other characteristic”.

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“Given supply to a child under 16 is covered by the Misuse of Drugs Act the Government does not have any plans to create an additional, specific offence,” it added.

“The death of Ms Roberts’ daughter, Leah, is a tragedy. We can assure you that this Government takes drug misuse very seriously. Drugs can devastate lives, ruin families and damage communities. 

"This Government’s approach to them remains clear - we must prevent drug misuse in our communities and support people through treatment and recovery.”

However, Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and Malton, has agreed to make a case for introducing the law in the House of Commons next month, under the Ten Minute Rule. If he is successful, a bill will be drawn up and debated by MPs.

He said: "We've applied for a slot for 10 minute rule bill. We'll keep applying the pressure, you don't always get results on these things right at the start so you've got to keep making a case - that's what we'll keep doing."