Police Trainer's Suicide Linked to Employer's Actions

Nicola 'Nikki' Forster, a 45-year-old safety training officer, took her own life in September 2022. An inquest found that her deteriorating mental health, exacerbated by her employer’s inaction and poor management, led to her death. The Metropolitan Police Service missed opportunities to provide critical support for Forster, who had developed PTSD from her work during the Grenfell Tower fire.

Nicola 'Nikki' Forster, a 45-year-old safety training officer at Hendon Police College in north London, tragically took her own life in September 2022.

An inquest by Central Bedfordshire coroner’s court revealed that Forster's mental health deteriorated due to line management decisions at the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

Forster, who suffered from PTSD following her work during the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, was repeatedly denied timely occupational health referrals by her line manager, Insp Hayley Webb.

Coroner Emma Whitting concluded that these decisions contributed significantly to Forster’s declining mental health and eventual death.

Forster had voiced to colleagues that Webb was a bully and believed she was being targeted.

Her deteriorating condition went unaddressed despite clear signs and her own requests for help.

The coroner emphasized that the MPS's inaction and mismanagement exacerbated Forster's mental health issues.