Carla James · Prevention of Future Deaths report

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Issued 7 Feb 2025•Manchester North

Published report and response evidence

This report’s concerns and statements found in recipients’ published responses. Statements are included even where no link to an individual concern is recorded. A link shows an evidence connection; it does not assign responsibility.

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Concerns
1

Raised in this report

Recipients
2

Named on the report

Responses found
2

Of 2 recipients

Stated actions
1

Described in responses

Recipients and published responses

Full report text

This is the full text from the original published report.

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Concerns and recipient responses

Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

Concerns raised1

  1. Failure to provide warnings about highly poisonous and toxic products that can endanger life

Stated actions An action is something a recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to a concern raised.1

  1. Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

    Continue engaging Defra, DHSC and other stakeholders to assess wider regulatory implications for toxic plants and similar products.

Respondent positions A position is what a recipient says about a concern when it does not describe a specific action.3

  1. Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

    The Office for Product Safety and Standards is examining the issue and is expected to respond to the coroner.

    Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
  2. Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

    Legislative powers do not permit requiring health warnings for potentially hazardous plants and plant products imported into Great Britain.

    Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
  3. Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade

    Producers, importers and distributors are responsible for assessing product risks and determining whether warnings or other safety measures are needed.

    Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Failure to provide warnings about highly poisonous and toxic products that can endanger life

Wider context from the report

“████████ are being imported and sold nationally with no warnings as to the fact they are highly poisonous and toxic and can endanger life. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

No recurring-concern membership is currently published.

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Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Continue engaging Defra, DHSC and other stakeholders to assess wider regulatory implications for toxic plants and similar products.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Going forward, OPSS will continue to engage with Defra, DHSC and other stakeholders, so that we can assess whether this tragic case has wider implications for the regulation of this or similar products in future.”

Source location

Response from Office for Product Safety and Standards
Page 2 · response
Published 7 February 2025

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Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

The Office for Product Safety and Standards is examining the issue and is expected to respond to the coroner.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Given this, my officials have been in touch with the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). We understand this issue is being examined by the Office for Product Safety and Standards and that they intend to write to you. It goes without saying that Defra will support the work of DBT in any way we can.”

Source location

Response from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Page 1 · response
Published 7 February 2025

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Legislative powers do not permit requiring health warnings for potentially hazardous plants and plant products imported into Great Britain.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Defra is responsible for trade in regulated plants and plant material including seeds for planting. This includes responsibility for the intellectual property rights of plant breeders, plant variety registration and setting standards for marketing and certification of seed for planting and other regulated plant material. However, Defra does not have legislative powers to require health warnings, or similar, to be included when potentially hazardous plants and plant products are imported into GB.”

Source location

Response from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Page 1 · response
Published 7 February 2025

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Producers, importers and distributors are responsible for assessing product risks and determining whether warnings or other safety measures are needed.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The UK’s product safety laws require that consumer products placed on the market must be safe. In most cases, primary responsibility for ensuring that only safe consumer products are placed on the UK market lies with the producer (which can mean importer in certain circumstances). In addition, distributors of products must not supply products they know, or should know, are unsafe.”

Source location

Response from Office for Product Safety and Standards
Page 1 · response
Published 7 February 2025

Open published response
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Information checked against the published report and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026