16th November 2025
Email sent – Tue 18/08/2009 18:22
Dear Ms Naven
Could you please explain the reason why my request is considered vexatious? The parents of disadvantaged and disabled children are being treated very, very badly by this Council. Are some driven to suicide as Mr. Parnell could easily have been?
Which council officer decided this appalling case of Ms Davies didn’t warrant any report, despite the serious failings of the Council indicated in the Serious Case Review?
Please may I see any documents subsequently produced by the Council showing ways to address the Council’s failings documented in the Serious Case Review.
Yours
Sheila
—– Original Message —–
Dear Ms Naven
The review should be carried out by an independent council person – Ms Sager is certainly not that.
I look forward to hearing from you with a revised response.
Yours
Sheila
From: FOI Officer
To: Sheila Oliver
Cc: FOI Officer
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 12:24 PM
Subject: Your request for an internal review – Ref FOI 1490 – Response
Dear Mrs Oliver,
I am writing in response to your request for an internal review of the decision to refuse to respond to your request (ref 1490) on the basis that it was vexatious.
You originally requested the following:
‘Please may I see any complaints lodged by Alison Davies against SMBC. She is the lady who jumped off the Humber Bridge with her autistic son. There is no data protection for the dead – I have checked.’
This is the request which is the subject of the review. The review has been carried out by Donna Sager and is set out below:
Dear Mrs Oliver,
From a review of all pertinent information I am of the opinion that the request is vexatious and that responding to it could significantly impact on the relatives and family of the individual. It is clear from the emails you’ve sent about this matter that you recognise the privacy issues associated with your request and although the Data Protection Act 1998 does not apply to information about the deceased, in my opinion responding to your request is likely to distress relatives of Ms Davies and her son, who have a legitimate right to privacy. This is because as you will know, any response to an FOI request is a disclosure to the public as a whole, not just to you.
I do not consider that requesting information about deceased individuals in this context serves any serious purpose other than to cause distress to those who knew Ms Davies and to harass the Council. The link between this request and the ongoing issues regarding a small number of unrelated official complaints to Stockport Council indicates to me that your request is of a vexatious nature which is requested in order to try to discredit the Council as opposed to any genuine interest in the individual case.
Any information the Council may hold about these very tragic circumstances should not be used for purposes other than those which have previously been dealt with under the serious case review. Any other requests do not appear to have a benefit. I am aware that subsequent emails of this nature simply confirm this view that I am upholding.
If you are unhappy with the outcome of the internal review you are entitled to complain to the Information Commissioner. To do so, contact:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
01625 545745
Yours sincerely,
Donna Sager
Service Director (Strategy & Performance)
Children & Young People’s Directorate
Claire Naven
Data Protection & Freedom of Information Officer
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
Dear Ms Naven
In the interim I have found out the details for myself. Although criticised in the Serious Case Review for failure to document her case, hold joint meetings and liaise with other services which could help Ms Davies, despite this involving the death of a 9-year-old child when his mother jumped with him from the Humber Brige, a council meeting was told that the Council was under no obligation to produce a report on this tragic case.
I shall keep digging and request further information when I have gone through her NHS records.
With warmest best wishes
Sheila
—– Original Message —–
From: FOI Officer
To: Sheila Oliver
Cc: FOI Officer
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 11:08 AM
Subject: RE: Report put before Stockport Council regarding the lady who jumped off the Humber Bridge – Ref 2000 Further response
Dear Mrs Oliver,
As per my previous email, the Council is not aware of any such report regarding Ms Davies. It is clear from your email that you believe such a report exists and was taken to a Council meeting; therefore if you still maintain this is the case, please specify which Council meeting you believe this report was taken to. The response to your request as it stands is that no such report is held by the Council.
Yours sincerely,
Claire Naven
Claire Naven
Data Protection & Freedom of Information Officer
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
From: Sheila Oliver [mailto:sheilaoliver@ntlworld.com]
Sent: 12 August 2009 17:42
To: FOI Officer
Subject: Re: Report put before Stockport Council regarding the lady who jumped off the Humber Bridge – Ref 2000 Response
Dear Ms Naven
We will go into this bit by bit if you wish. Alison Davies from Stockport jumped off the Humber Bridge with her 9 year old autistic son. Was there any internal investigation/report regarding her dealings with Stockport Council? I assume the mother of an autistic child would have had some assistance from the Council. I have been told on good authority that a report about the incident was put before a council meeting, and that is was decided that Ms. Davies was suffering from mental illness.
I look forward to hearing from you. However long it takes.
Kind regards
Sheila
—– Original Message —–
From: FOI Officer
To: Sheila Oliver
Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 5:06 PM
Subject: Report put before Stockport Council regarding the lady who jumped off the Humber Bridge – Ref 2000 Response
Dear Mrs Oliver,
I am writing in response to your request for information below (ref 2000).
As far as we’re aware, no such report about Ms Davies is held by the Council; however if you have reason to believe otherwise, if you are able to clarify your request and specify, for example, which kind of report you are referring to we will reconsider it.
If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your request you are entitled to ask for an internal review. Any internal review will be carried out by a senior member of staff who was not involved with your original request. To ask for an internal review, contact foi.officer@stockport.gov.uk in the first instance.
If you are unhappy with the outcome of any internal review, you are entitled to complain to the Information Commissioner. To do so, contact:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
01625 545 745
Yours sincerely,
Claire Naven
Claire Naven
Data Protection & Freedom of Information Officer
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
From: Sheila Oliver [mailto:sheilaoliver@ntlworld.com]
Sent: 11 July 2009 06:58
To: FOI Officer
Subject: Report put before Stockport Council regarding the lady who jumped off the Humber Bridge
Dear FoI Officer
Please send me the report put to Stockport Council regarding Alison Davies, the lady who jumped off the Humber Bridge with her 9-year-old autistic son.
Yours
Sheila
