The only victim support I got was from a bottle

A MOTHER who turned to drink in despair after her son's murder shocked a crowded hall this week as she stormed: "Where's the support for families who've lost a loved one?"

Lorraine Fraser drew gasps at our latest Save Our Streets roadshow when she confessed she became an ALCOHOLIC after 16-year-old son Tyrone Clarke was beaten to death by a baying mob.

Quivering with rage, the 44-year-old mum told how her compensation for Tyrone's killing was SLASHED because he had tried to help a bullied friend.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) decided he had contributed to his own death - so his mum was denied an £11,000 payout and handed just £1,600.

Lorraine was left ravaged by debt and she raged: "I lost everything when I lost my son. But I had no counselling, nothing.

Caged

"When it happens you get a lot of police presence at your house, there's a lot in the papers.

"But once you've had that court case and they're convicted, the door shuts to that family. That's wrong."

Lorraine took to the bottle and recalled becoming "caged in my own home". She added: "I only had other families for support, they gave me bags of shopping to help me out." She was devastated by the CICA ruling that her son - a 6ft 4in schoolboy - had "added to his own death" by fighting to save his friend from an attack by bullies.

Two days later he was pounced on by the gang of 20 Asian youths and killed.

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"It cost me £4,500 to bury my son and £4,000 for a headstone," Lorraine told the audience. "After scrimping and saving to raise the money from my benefits, I had to live on just £40 a week.

"I would like some help for the families. They're shunned."

Her outburst was heard by 150 people packed into Hillcrest primary school in the Chapeltown area for our latest Save Our Streets roadshow.

It was one of a series we are holding around the country to seek ways of beating the violence plaguing Britain's streets.

Among those listening sympathetically to tragic Lorraine in the Leeds debate, hosted by ITV's Duncan Wood, was the father of murdered schoolboy Damilola Taylor, 10.

It took almost six years to bring his son's killers to justice after three trials. And devastatedRichard Taylor recalled: "Right from day one we had to go through the same thing - there was simply no victim support."

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Mr Taylor, now a government adviser on youth crime, has campaigned for more help for bereaved families and met on the issue with PM Gordon Brown recently.

Another outraged mother, Dawn Bell, complained that weak jail sentences are leaving vicious thugs to laugh at the court system.

Her 17-year- old son Adam suffered permanent brain damage after he was felled by a yob's punch as he played soccer with a pal.

His 16-year- old attacker received just four months in a detention centre because of his age. Dawn, 48, said: "The criminals are left laughing in the face of justice.

"If the punishment does not fit the crime, the crimes will not stop. This country is full of people frustrated at sentencing."

Youth worker Tasha Logan, 23, has researched the causes of drug dealing in black youths. She said she found the main reasons were social deprivation, peer pressure, lack of a male role model and educational failures.

Tasha said: "I conducted this research myself. Why can't the government put money into communities to find out once and for all what is contributing to gun and knife crime?"

Search

Yorkshire's Chief Superintendent Gerry Broadbent, who was on the roadshow panel alongside victims of crime and community leaders, argued that the use of controversial police stop-and-search powers were a valuable tool in combating knife crime.

Many in the audience disagreed, however, complaining that the law could be abused by officers.

Instead, local resident Michael Thomas appealed for cops to work more closely with the community.

He added: "Treat us as human beings and you will have humans walking the streets."

Give us the funds, pleads boy

ONE young lad, 12-year-old Meshec James, wanted to know: "Where is the money to keep me and my friends off the streets?"

Three nights a week, he and his pals go to a youth project in Chapeltown, Leeds. But it lacks funds to extend its hours during the summer holidays. Panellist Lutel James, an ex-pro footballer who runs Chapeltown Football Youth Development Centre, agreed: "Too many good projects are not getting the money they need, and it is failing the kids."

Lutel, who turned his own life around after dabbling in crime, now encourages the 500 kids who attend his centre to avoid drugs and gangs.

Games 'end up in horror'

MUM-OF-FOUR Anna Travers told of her horror at the sick and violent video games watched by children.

Anna, a former vice girl, described a game which features street prostitutes being beaten up and robbed.

Anna, 38, who now works with support group Mothers Against Violence, said angrily: "It's showing a lack of respect for people who have real-life issues and may be struggling. It definitely influences people.

"These games are making them think these women are kind of animals and you should go and beat them up."

Public health chief Dr Ian Cameron, who was on our panel, agreed games had grown more violent. He stressed society as a whole needed to "shift from violence to respect."

• No benefits for lazy mums
• Thugs destroyed my life in a few hours

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