Costessey deaths: Norfolk PCC to demand answers over 999 call officers ignored before family deaths

A police and crime commissioner has said he will "robustly" hold the account a police chief whose force failed to respond to a 999 call an hour before four people were found dead.

The bodies of 45-year-old Bartlomiej Kuczynski, a 36-year-old woman and two girls were found at a home in Costessey near Norwich at 7.15am on Friday morning.

The following day Norfolk Police said a 999 call had been made by a man at the Allan Bedford Crescent address at 6am but officers were not deployed.

Giles Orpen-Smellie, Norfolk's PCC, said: "I am clear that the residents of Norfolk must be able to depend on the effective working of the 999 system."

He described the four deaths as "a terrible tragedy", adding: "I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to all those who have been affected by what has happened.

"I would like to assure the residents of Norfolk that, on their behalf, I will be holding the Chief Constable to account robustly for the actions of his officers and staff.

"The Independent Office of Police Conduct will investigate what took place."

Norfolk Police has said it would release no further details about the call until the police watchdog the IOPC had investigated.

The IOPC is also looking into a report of previous contact at the address, as officers had attended on 14 December to look into a missing persons inquiry.

The force is not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths, and said on Sunday that post-mortem examinations indicated the two adults had died from stab wounds to the neck.

Tests on the two children will be carried out on Wednesday.

On Monday, the girls' schools said bereavement specialists would be supporting pupils, while a local vicar was offering support to neighbours and others affected by the deaths.

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