Father speaks of trust in his killer daughter

yesterday.

Mr Richard Allitt, 49, also said he believed his daughter was innocent

and that he would be asking his solicitors to appeal against her

convictions.

He was speaking as the families of the child victims stepped up their

campaign, with a lawyer saying that a report on the children's ward

where Allitt worked in Grantham and Kesteven Hospital was a whitewash.

The call follows Allitt's conviction for murdering four children at

the hospital, attempting to murder three, and causing grievous bodily

harm to six other youngsters.

Solicitor Ann Alexander, who is acting for the families, called on

Health Secretary Virginia Bottomley to meet a delegation of parents, so

that they could ''explain to her why the decision not to have a full

public inquiry is wrong''.

Mr Allitt, his wife Lilian, 45, and their other three children, Donna,

28, Darren, 18, and Alison, 21, regularly visit the top-security

hospital where Allitt is awaiting sentence.

He said Donna let her hold her eight-month-old daughter, Katie, during

the visits.

Mr Allitt said: ''She spends most of the time in the arms of her

Auntie Beverley.

''We have always had complete trust in her and still do.''

Speaking about the case for the first time, Mr Allitt, of Corby Glen,

near Grantham, Lincolnshire, said: ''We believe Beverley is innocent

because we do not think she had it in her to do the things they say she

did.

He added: ''She has always looked after babies in the village and lots

of parents have trusted her with their children. They thought she was

marvellous.''

Mr Allitt, a delivery man, went on: ''We have always been law-abiding

citizens and none of us have ever been in any sort of trouble.

''But I am not too sure about the law now: there are a lot of people

who have been wrongly locked away.

''There are always two sides to every story.''

Mr Allitt said he spoke to his daughter, who is suffering from the

slimmers' disease anorexia nervosa, almost every evening.

''Obviously she is upset but she is pretty calm and has some good

people looking after her,'' he said.

Mrs Linda King, mother of baby Christopher King -- Allitt was

convicted of causing him grievous bodily harm -- told a news conference

at Grantham that the families were unanimous in demanding a full public

inquiry.

''We are adamant that the horror which we have all had to live with

should not be repeated,'' she said.

Ms Ann Alexander said that there were suspicions in the hospital that

24-year-old Allitt was suffering from a hysterically-based syndrome, she

said.

But she was concerned that the regional health authority had not been

prepared to admit that it was aware of those suspicions.

It was disclosed on Monday that Allitt was suffering from a rare

personality disorder known as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.

The families have said they feared that the independent inquiry to be

chaired by Sir Cecil Clothier which Mrs Bottomley announced yesterday

would not be able to get to the bottom of what happened.

It was likely to sit in private and would have no powers to compel

witnesses to attend, or for evidence to be taken on oath.

Mr Christopher Taylor -- Allitt murdered his eight-week-old son Liam

at the hospital in spring 1991 -- suggested that Mrs Bottomley should

try to put herself in the same position as the victims' families.

''She would want nothing less than what we want,'' he said.

Yesterday's Trent Regional health Authority inquiry report said all

young patients at Grantham and Kesteven Hospital should be given

round-the-clock cover by qualified nurses.

It criticised staffing on Ward 4, the children's ward where Allitt

worked, and said the role of night sisters should be urgently reviewed

and their work with children clearly defined.

The hospital should review the appointment and assessment of

paediatric nurses, and have a core bank of nurses with specialist

qualifications or experience in child nursing.

The report also called for sweeping changes in the way medicines were

given to children, saying that in future a fully qualified children's

nurse must take responsibility for administering drugs.