Reading widowed mother school truancy case dropped

Tracey Fidler says her son Adam was grieving for the loss of his father

The partner of a cyclist killed by a drink-driver has been told she will not face legal charges over her son missing school following the death.

Tracey Fidler, from Reading, had been taken to court by Reading Borough Council for the non-attendance of her now 11-year-old son.

Ms Fidler said her son Adam, aged nine at the time his father was killed, was "grieving" and "in a state".

The council said it had dropped the action after a meeting with her.

Tony Jones, the council's lead member for education, said the authority would "work with the family to provide support they need".

Mother-of-five Ms Fidler, who was planning to represent herself in the civil case, denied the offence.

She could potentially have faced a fine of up to £2,500, been given a community order or jailed for up to three months.

She previously said being in court for her son not attending Battle Primary Academy enough times was "unbelievable".

Adam Fidler was a pupil at Battle Primary Academy when his father died

John Morland and Kris Jarvis were killed on 13 February 2014

She said: "He wasn't going to school basically because he was grieving for his dad. Since the incident he's been suffering big time.

"He wasn't off school because he was truanting, he was off because he was grieving."

Her fiance, Kris Jarvis, 39, who worked for Reading council, died on 13 February 2014 when he and his friend John Morland were hit by Alexander Walters, 31, from Purley-on-Thames.

A petition set up by Mr Jarvis's sister-in-law Amy Parks asking for proceedings to be dropped attracted more than 6,500 signatures.