Grandson held over killing of Leeds anti-knife campaigner



Determined: Pat Regan became a national figure in the fight against gun and knife crime after her son was shot dead in 2002

She was an ordinary grandmother who dedicated her life to campaigning against violent crime.

But a final act of kindness may have led to the knife killing of Pat Regan, a leading figure in the Mothers Against Violence group.

Detectives investigating her murder were yesterday questioning her grandson Rakeem Regan, who has mental health problems.

The two were said to be 'very close' and in recent weeks Mrs Regan had been desperately trying to get help for Rakeem, 20.

Friends revealed she spent hours scouring the internet about his 'personality' problems, called contacts for advice and even took him to a doctor to try to get treatment.

But she was said to be frustrated that the authorities would do nothing as Rakeem was over 18. She warned of the dire consequences if nothing was done.

Mrs Regan was stabbed to death at her home early on Sunday morning and Rakeem was later arrested on suspicion of her murder.

Yesterday Mrs Regan's eldest son Shane wept as he said: 'She had dedicated her life to stopping violence like this. What has happened has come as a massive shock to all of us and we're just trying to piece together in our heads what has gone on. I'm heartbroken that she's not here any more. I just can't believe it - none of us can.'

A stream of well-wishers placed flowers outside Mrs Regan's council flat. The 53-year-old mother of six was seen as a community hero.



Shot dead: The campaigner's son Danny was killed in a suspected gangland murder in December 2002

She founded the Leeds branch of Mothers Against Violence after her 26-year-old son Danny was shot dead in 2002 in a suspected gangland attack.

Friends spoke of her battle to get help for Rakeem - the son of her daughter Frances.

Fellow campaigner Lorraine Fraser said: 'She was a very brave lady and screamed out for help for that child.



'She said "If anything happens, you'll soon be down to help." And look - something has happened and everybody's too late.'

Another friend added: 'The problem has been to do with his state of mind. He was not very well but you can't force an 18-year-old into doing what you want and she was trying to get him the help he needed.'

A police source confirmed Rakeem was receiving mental health treatment as an outpatient.

Rakeem wrote on Friends Reunited that he was 'taking a career break' and added he was 'preparing for something big'.

On her web page Mrs Regan put her interests as 'my grandchildren. . . and trying to save lives'.

The full-time volunteer had been struggling through lack of funds and faced closing her campaign office. Two weeks ago she wrote: 'I do not have any funds left and I will be giving my office space up at the end of this month.'

Her determination to combat crime had won the respect of politicians and even took her to Downing Street to join Tony Blair at a summit on gang crime.

Yesterday Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: 'I was extremely shocked and saddened to hear about the tragic death of Pat Regan. I had met Pat on several occasions and had been greatly impressed with her dedication. Pat worked tirelessly and achieved a great deal.'

Friend and fellow campaigner Angela Lawrence said: 'She was a beautiful, very generous and loving person.

'Pat lost her own son and didn't want to let anyone else go through what she went through.'

Cold comfort: Mourners clutch each other as they try to absorb the death of their friend

Hilary Benn, MP for Leeds Central and Environment Secretary, added: 'She made a huge impression on me and on everyone she met.



'She was determined to do all she could to stop any other mothers going through the pain and suffering that she experienced when her son Danny was killed.

'Her passionate belief that things did not have to be this way shone through in everything she did. It is why she will be greatly missed.'

Investigation: Forensic officers in protective clothing prepare to examine Mrs Regan's flat



Greg Mulholland, the MP for Leeds North West, added: 'She was such a down-to-earth person, who managed to have a great sense of warmth and humour despite the tragedy that she suffered when she lost her son Danny to gun crime.

"She was an inspiration to people not only here in Leeds but also to people up and down the country with her tireless campaigning. She will be a real loss to the community she loved and to the campaign she set up and championed.'

Mrs Regan's first floor flat in the Hyde Park area of Leeds was sealed today and its window shrouded by tarpaulins as officers moved in an out.



Bunches of flowers including a bouquet of red roses and other tributes had been left by friends and family at the entrance to the block.

One note read: 'My wonderful grandmother. RIP Pat. Love and miss you always. Never forgotten. Kyle.'

Mrs Regan's husband was among a group gathered outside. Sobbing, he said he was too upset to talk.



Ashla France, who arrived to lay some flowers with her son Vinod, said: 'She gave the community a voice. I'm here on a personal note - she helped me and my family. It made me want to get involved in the work she did.'

Sylvester Johnson, 74, said he was stunned at the campaigner's death, who he described her as a 'quite remarkable young lady'

'Since her son died, she campaigned more for the better. She didn't want any young people to get caught up in the trouble that her son got caught up in,' he said.



A former neighbour, who was walking her dog past the estate added that Mrs Regan had always been 'happy and bubbly'.

She said: 'Everybody had a lot of respect for her. She always kept herself busy, especially with her campaigning. She was normally a really happy person.'

'I saw her quite depressed over Christmas but that was to be expected really after her son Danny was shot a while back.'

Determined: Mrs Regan and fellow campaigner Michelle Forbes outside Number 10 after an anti-gun crime summit last year

Mrs Regan had desperately tried to steer Danny away from a life of crime and never allowed him to bring home drugs or guns.

Shortly before he was murdered, he had spoken of trying to turn his life around, she revealed in an interview last year.



'He was going to run a nightclub in Middlesbrough. He said he wanted a girlfriend who didn't need to take drugs at the weekend to have a good time. He wanted an intelligent girl to bring him out of the street life,' she told the BBC.

After his death, she set up her own organisation in Leeds, visiting schools to give talks about the dangers of getting involved in crime.

Co-founder of the group, Dee Edwards said today: 'She's made such a big difference to so many people's lives. This is an absolute tragedy for so many people.'

'It's just the most dreadful news for everyone. She's just an amazing woman. We just love her to bits, she's just an incredible lady, I just can't take this in.'

Her voice breaking with emotion, she added: 'She's open, she's honest, she's got a massive heart, she helped so many people...

'We were terrified something like this would happen to her.'

Grief: Friends of Mrs Regan's could not contain their tears as they laid tributes outside the flats where she lived

A mourner lays flowers in the sea of those which had already been sent by people touched by Pat

Another colleague, Lucy Cope, described Mrs Regan as an 'amazing lady' who had touched the lives of all who knew her.

'She didn't have a bad bone in her body or a bad word to say about anybody. I was honoured to be her friend,' she said.



'All the mothers have been on the phone this morning crying, all heartbroken. A part of us has been taken. It's just horrendous.'

Of her work, she added: 'Every single time another family went through the tragedy of gun crime in Leeds, Pat Regan knocked on that door and held the hands of the mothers. She will never be forgotten, never.'

Mrs Cope said her friend's family had been 'her life'. 'She doted on her children. She was a devoted grandmother and mother,' she said.



As a campaigner, Mrs Regan attended an anti-gun summit at Downing Street last year after a spate of teenager killings across the country.



Later in the year, she praised the Government for finally taking action on the issue but said young people appeared to no longer respect their own lives or those of others.

Speaking at an event for another murdered man in 2006, Mrs Regan declared: 'It has got to stop. How many more young people are going to die before something is done?'