Football fans shamed over ‘appalling’ Lucy Letby chant
Chester Football Club has hit out at an ‘appalling’ chant about former neonatal nurse and serial killer Lucy Letby, saying it will take ‘appropriate action’ with those involved.
Last month, 33-year-old Letby was found guilty of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others while working as a neonatal nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Cheshire, between 2015 and 2016.
There had been a significant rise in the number of babies who suffered serious and unexpected collapses at the hospital's neonatal unit where she worked, having been the only member of the nursing and clinical staff on duty each time the incidents happened.
After being arrested by Cheshire Constabulary at 6am on 3 July 2018, she was found guilty of murder and attempted murder on 18 August this year, with the prosecution saying during the trial that the 'cold, cruel and relentless' band 5 staff nurse was a 'calculating and devious' opportunist who 'gaslighted' colleagues to cover her 'murderous assaults'.
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In the wake of Letby being jailed, Chester FC football fans were heard chanting about the nurse during a recent match against Hereford earlier this week, during which the side lost 2-1.
At the time, one supporter wrote on a fan forum: "What was with the Lucy Letby she's one of your own chants? May well be from Hereford but went uni, lived and committed the murders in Chester.
"Some of the young lads need a head wobble."
Someone else said: "Oh FFS, they didn't did they? The person next to them in the stand could have lost a child to her, for all they know. More dreadful publicity for the club if that gets out."
Their actions have now been heavily condemned by the club, which said Letby’s ‘horrifying crimes’ continued to be felt throughout the local community.
The club also said it is now investigating the matter, with plans to search through CCTV footage to find out who was responsible.
Vice Chairman Jim Green said: "Chester FC condemns the appalling chant heard during our match with Hereford.
"We are ashamed to be associated with anyone responsible for the chant and will be reviewing CCTV footage to identify those involved and take the appropriate action.
"It is reprehensible behaviour and demonstrates a deeply concerning lack of compassion, understanding and decency."
Green added: "The collective thoughts of the football club, our staff and supporters remain with the families and loved ones of the babies."
Described as 'devious' and 'cold-blooded', Letby 'completely perverted her learning' and 'weaponised whatever was at her disposal', the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
Pascale Jones, of the CPS, said Letby 'betrayed the trust that people had in the NHS' as well as the 'faith that families had'.
"Behind that angelic smile was a much darker side to her personality," she added.
During searches of her address, a number of closely written notes were discovered.
On one green Post-it note, she wrote notes such as: "I don’t deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them", "I am a horrible evil person", and in capital letters: "I am evil I did this".
Jess Hardiman