‘We have, ma’am, but she has a landline. While we can take the mobile away in the search for evidence, there is no equivalent justification to removing the landline. We’ve been advised that we cannot disconnect it. She now seems to have got herself pro bono a rather effective lawyer who has been making life difficult for us in front of magistrates every time we apply to broaden the warrant.’

‘But she can’t continue to stay there, surely, with a window missing and a section of brickwork removed? The house isn’t fit to live in.’

‘It’s arguably been that way for many years,’ the head of social care responded. ‘As she couldn’t be moved, polythene sheeting has been rigged up to protect her from the elements.’

It was on the fourth day of the stand-off, which had become a national TV spectacle, that the sad news came through that Mrs Poppy Tilling had suffered a massive stroke. This time the process of removing her was unimpeded, and after her condition was stabilised, the crane winched a platform with her, her bed and some essential medical equipment out of the first-floor window of 32 Linden Avenue. A team of ten paramedics then moved her onto a specially made gurney. Her departure by helicopter was witnessed by thousands thronging the streets, many of them carrying pink poppies.

Her death at the age of fifty-seven was announced that evening. Craig and Sam Gillard were sitting at home watching the news and it was the first item. The Home Secretary, caught by a press pack leaving a Whitehall meeting, said: ‘I am of course extremely sad to hear this news and extend my sympathies to the family. However, it is very important that we bear in mind that we should never take the law into our own hands.’

The final words were almost drowned out by a demonstrator nearby yelling: ‘Murderer! What about Justice for Poppy!’

Epilogue

Verity Winter didn’t stay long in Argentina. She was eventually tracked down to neighbouring Uruguay, from where she was extradited and sentenced to twelve years for abduction, assault and conspiracy to murder. Gary Tilling, having pleaded guilty at an earlier stage and co-operated with the prosecution, was sentenced to fourteen years, ten of them suspended, for conspiracy and manslaughter. Leticia Mountjoy submitted a statement of mitigation on his behalf, which was read out in court. The judge agreed that Gary was very much in the shadow of his domineering mother.