Stephen Topping
A two-year-old is dead and other children are struggling to breathe, Manchester Evening News
Stephen Topping is a reporter at the Manchester Evening News. His investigation reported on the death of Awaab Ishak due to prolonged exposure to mould, the scandal at Rochdale Boroughwide Housing and the subsequent campaign to change the law in the toddler’s memory. This exposed the culture of blaming tenants for mould and pressed for an urgent change.
His shortlisted pieces are:
- A two-year-old is dead and other children are struggling to breathe
- A forgotten child in the Greater Manchester flats that are full of fear
- No apology, a last minute confession, massive pay rises – the housing bosses who failed Awaab Ishak
- The nasty stench of racism pervades the tragedy of little Awaab Ishak
- After little Awaab’s death the government is now promising change. It can’t come soon enough
- ’72 people died in Grenfell but so little changed… it took another tragedy in Awaab for action to finally happen’
