Stoke-on-Trent mum's tears at battery campaign support

Harper-Lee Fanthorpe died in May 2021 after swallowing a "button" battery from a remote control

The mother of a two-year-old girl who died after swallowing a "button" battery said she cried after learning a council would back an awareness drive.

Harper-Lee Fanthorpe's death was caused by acid from the item burning into an artery, an inquest found.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has agreed to support her mother Stacy Nicklin in raising awareness of the dangers of the type of small battery consumed.

On hearing the decision, she said she "spent all afternoon in tears".

All Stoke-on-Trent city councillors backed a motion on Thursday for the authority to sign the "Button Battery Pledge", a safety message from a charity set up by Ms Nicklin.

The move will see the council use its communication channels to raise awareness of Harper-Lee's death and lobby the government to improve safety around products containing the batteries.

Ms Nicklin explained: "If Stoke-on-Trent Council can sign, how many more councils from the district can look at this and sign? It is all good news for me and that is what I need."

Harper-Lee was rushed to hospital in May 2021 after she began vomiting blood at her home in Abbey Hulton.

Surgeons found a hole in her oesophagus and, during surgery, she suffered cardiac arrhythmia and died, her inquest heard.

Ms Nicklin said she decided two weeks after her daughter's death she had to do something and set up the charity.

"Things have not been easy, I am not going to lie - not been easy at all. It has only been the last few weeks that I have started getting through the day without crying now," she said.

Councillor Dave Evans said he had not realised "quite how dangerous [the batteries] are".

He said: "There's nothing I wouldn't do to make sure my daughter was safe."