A DISGUSTED Assembly Member has pledged to investigate a group which is putting jokes about dead babies on a social networking website.

The Leader highlighted the growing anger over the sick Facebook group, which has more than 2,000 members, in a front page story on Tuesday.

One young Wrexham mum who lost her own baby has launched an online campaign for it to be removed and North Wales AM Eleanor Burnham promised to look into how such sites can be controlled.

The group was first brought to the attention of the Leader by Kerry Lucy, 23, from Wrexham, who lost her son Alfie at just 21 weeks two years ago.

She revealed that despite making numerous attempts to get Facebook controllers to remove it, the group continues to build up support.

After reading our story another young mother, 23-year-old Vicki Archer from Brymbo, decided to launch her own online campaign to have the group removed.

Vicki, who lost a baby through a miscarriage five years ago, set up a Facebook group, which attracted 600 members within just a few hours. After making her own unsuccessful attempts to get Facebook to remove the site, she suggested there should be government controls over such “disgusting” content.

Mrs Burnham said: “This group is just sick and disgusting and I am sorry to hear it has offended so many people.

“We are living in a very complex age where we have all this communication with hardly any controls.

“I shall be raising this matter directly with Ofcom, the communications industry watchdog, to see if this sort of thing can be controlled.

“I thank the Leader for bringing this to my attention.”

Vicky Archer said: “Although I now have four children, aged from five years to eight months, I still think of that baby every single day and how it would have looked.

“I still suffer from depression because of the death so to see something like this making fun about the death of babies is just absolutely disgusting.

“Some of the language used by people on the group is also totally unacceptable considering children can see it.

“I am determined to get this removed, so I have now started my own group calling for that to be done.

“I only set it up at 9pm on Tuesday and by mid-afternoon it had more than 600 members, which shows that a lot of other people out there must feel as disgusted as I do about it.

“I am surprised that after seeing all this going on the people who run Facebook haven’t taken it off by now.”

Vicky added: “If Facebook won’t properly police this site I think there should be some sort of government control.

“I know people have said that the group is also about free speech but if this is free speech then I don’t want any part of it.”

The Leader has made repeated attempts to contact Facebook for its reaction to people’s complaints but has so far been unable to speak to anyone.


What do you think of the row?

Do you think Facebook should remove the group immediately?

Or do you think free speech should be preserved?

Have your say below and take part in our poll,  your views may be included in our Wrexham Leader publication.

Should Facebook remove the 'dead baby jokes' group?(survey)