THE DAUGHTER of a woman who was killed in a lift accident on a Redbridge housing estate has demanded answers after seeing the investigation into her death drag on for nearly five months.
Mum-of-three Laura Dawkins has been left frustrated by the length of time it has taken to conclude the inquiry into the death of grandmother-of-six Christine Allen who was crushed to death in a lift on the Orchard Estate in August last year.
Ms Dawkins, 26, who has just got through her first Christmas without Christine, also claims she has not been regularly updated about the progress of the investigation - which is being carried out jointly by the Metropolitan Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
She said: "I'm very unhappy with how long [the investigation] is taking.
"Christmas was hard without mum. I missed her laugh and her jokes.
"This has made it harder.
"They've [the police and HSE] not been updating me on what's happening very often. All I've been told is that the investigation is ongoing.
"It's been going on for so long now. I just want to know what happened."
Ms Dawkins, who has since moved off the estate with her children and is currently battling with cancer, said the last few months have been particularly stressful for her.
She said she was offered counselling after her mothers death, but claims she is still waiting to receive it.
An HSE spokesman said: "The Metropolitan Police continues to lead on this case and Health and Safety Executive has been assisting with its inquiries.
"Each investigation is unique and is investigated thoroughly and therefore HSE cannot put a timescale on any investigation."
A police spokeswoman said: "The investigating officer last spoke to the victim's daughter on December 17 2009 to discuss the case and provide a full update.
"He believed that she was happy with the update and assured her that he would be in touch again as soon as possible.
"A family liaison officer (flo) was also assigned to the victim's family following the incident to provide added support.
"Victim support aftercare was offered but declined.
"An investigation remains ongoing by Redbridge police and the Health and Safety Executive."
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