Police call for witnesses to come forward as family of one girl speak

Police are appealing for help in tracing down witnesses to a fatal crush at a Northampton nightclub which cost the lives of two Brent people.

Nabila Nanfuka, 22 from, Neasden, and Laurene-Danielle Jackson, 19, from Wembley, both died following a crush as people tried to flee the Lava & Ignite nightclub October 18 last year. It was reported that the rush to leave the club occurred after a message went out on the speakers that coaches were about to leave.

Nabila, a student at the University of Northampton studying leisure and tourism, died the day after the crush in hospital.

Laurene-Danielle, who was studying psychology and criminology at Kingston University, died in hospital on Sunday November 6 2011.

A photograph of the crush and CCTV footage from inside the club have both been released by police in the hope of tracking down a number of people who were at the event but are yet to come forward with information.

More than 1,000 people have already been interviewed, but police are still trying to reach 28 key witnesses and are calling for anyone who can help identify them to come forward.

Angela Ferdinand and Ronato Jackson, the parents of Laurene-Danielle Jackson, have released a statement appealing directly to those who attended the event.

The parents said: “As parents of Laurene-Danielle who lost her life we can appreciate how upsetting it must be to re-live the tragedy of that night, but we are urging you to please come forward with any information, no matter how small it may be, so that we can try to understand what happened and why we lost our beautiful daughter.

“If it were you we are sure you would want all the information needed to get some kind of closure. Please imagine if it was you who had lost a daughter, sister, cousin or niece.

“Laurene-Danielle was only 19 and still had a lot to give in her life and we just need to know what happened. There are still a lot of blank pieces that the police need in order to continue their investigation. We do not want Laurene-Danielle’s death to go unanswered.”

Det Insp Lousie Hemingway, Northamptonshire Police, said: “We need the help of the people in the CCTV and the poster to piece together what happened. No-one is in trouble – we don’t suspect anyone in these images of a crime – we just need their help as key witnesses to what happened during the tragedy so that we can bring our investigation to a conclusion.”

Anyone with information should call police on 01604 888 006, text 07557 775 005, email northampton-nightclub@northants.police.uk or visit www.northants.police.uk/ClubTragedy.

You can also contact the force through Facebook on www.facebook.com/ClubTragedy or Tweet them on twitter.com/ClubTragedy