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The local family and fellow Mancunians campaigning to create ‘Kimberley’s Law’ in the UK

They have finally received a promising update, but there's still lots of important work to be done.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 24th February 2026

The name Kimberley Louise McAssey might not be familiar to you, but one Manchester family’s hope is that a law proposed in her honour could see her memory kept alive in the minds of many across Great Britain and beyond.

For anyone who doesn’t know the tragic story, Kimberley McAssey, a young mother of just 29 from Prestwich, sadly died after lying unresponsive for more than 30 hours.

Kimberely was unfortunately found unconscious after drinking and taking drugs with her friend Ryan Sheridan; instead of calling the emergency services immediately, he called his mother, who reportedly also delayed and even went to the shop before dialling 999.

It was during this time that decomposition resulted in coroners being unable to deliver a proper post-mortem, meaning not only did the irresponsible delay in contacting authorities prevent potential life-saving measures from being carried out, but also her cause of death from ever being fully determined.

Now, a whole five years on from her passing, the McAsseys, loved ones, locals, and those who have continued to push for crucial updates to legislation as part of the ‘Kimberley’s Law’ campaign across the UK, are finally starting to receive some promising responses from key figures.

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As well as Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and his office replying in a lengthy letter to the family, Labour MP for Salford, Rebecca Long Bailey, has also promised to examine proposals put forward to Parliament moving forward.

Colleague Christian Wakeford (Bury South) has also shown his support for the cause in the past.

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The most significant part of their calls for change comes down to the fact that, surprisingly, it is not currently against the law to postpone and/or avoid calling for an ambulance entirely – something that they and so many others agree seems shocking, to put it mildly.

As a result, Sheridan wasn’t directly charged regarding her death, though he has since been prosecuted and was sentenced to prison on Class A drug possession charges.

Sheridan also declined to attend Kimberley’s inquest at Rochdale Coroners’ Court back in 2024, despite being summoned to give evidence and being the sole witness to the incident.

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It will never be known whether or not the Prestwich resident could have been rescued, nor will we ever be able to truly and definitively confirm how she died, but those committed to remembering are hoping to make sure that situations like this can be avoided in the future.

With family friend Bonnie Greaves and countless other natives to the area having already helped get behind the cause, a petition to the UK government has now surpassed 10,000 signatures.

However, as always, it requires ten times that amount to guarantee it is brought up in the House of Commons, so nearly half a decade on from her passing, people are once again calling for Kimberely Law’s to be brought forward not just as a bill, but as a matter of morality.

You can find out more and sign the official Kimberley’s Law petition for yourself right HERE.

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Featured Images — Family handouts (supplied)/Kimberley’s Laws(via Facebook)