Nottingham Attacks: A ‘CATASTROPHIC collapse of responsibility’

Nottingham Attacks: A ‘CATASTROPHIC collapse of responsibility’

From The Fourcast by Channel 4 News

June 8, 2026 · 1h 8m

About this episode

The episode discusses the Nottingham attacks and the subsequent inquiry into mental health services and public safety with affected families and experts.

The Nottingham attacks shocked Britain and raised urgent questions about mental health services, public safety and institutional accountability. In this special edition of The Fourcast, Jackie Long is joined by the families of those killed in the attacks, alongside mental health experts, campaigners and policymakers, to discuss the findings of the Nottingham Inquiry and what must change to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Emma Webber, mother of Barnaby Webber; Dr Sanjoy Kumar, father of Grace O'Malley-Kumar; and James Coates, son of Ian Coates, reflect on their fight for answers and accountability. They are joined by former Care Minister Norman Lamb, Professor at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London Dinesh Bhugra, and SANE Chief Executive Marjorie Wallace. Can lessons finally be learned from Nottingham? Has enough changed since the attacks? And how do we balance compassionate mental health care with public safety? Nottingham Police said they would consider any recommendations made. Nottingham Health Trust did not respond to a request for comment. The CPS said they were ‘fully engaging with the public inquiry’. During the inquiry, a representative from the…

People in this episode

Host: Jackie Long

Guests: Emma Webber, Dr Sanjoy Kumar, James Coates

Topics covered

  • mental health services
  • public safety
  • institutional accountability
  • Nottingham attacks
  • family reflections
  • policy change
  • public inquiry

Keywords

  • Nottingham attacks
  • mental health
  • public safety
  • institutional accountability
  • inquiry
  • family reflections
  • policy change

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Nottingham Police, Nottingham Health Trust, CPS, University of Nottingham

Places: Nottingham

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