Tributes to ‘inspiring’ Baroness Massey of Darwen who has died aged 85

Birmingham University graduate Baroness Massey and her all-party parliamentary group for children held an 18-month parliamentary inquiry in 2014 into the treatment of children by police.

It gathered data, external from 43 police forces and found that police forces did not have the right age appropriate procedures and practices in place for dealing with children and young people at the time.

In 2010 she played a key role in changing the Child Poverty Bill to recognise the role of grandparents.

As well as her husband, Baroness Massey leaves behind a daughter and two sons.

Julie Gunn, head of education at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said she was an “inspiration to us all” while her predecessor, Maureen Bateson, described her as “a great campaigner for the rights of others”.

She taught in Africa, the US and London from 1989 to 1994 and also wrote a novel called Love and Death in Shanghai.

Ms Gunn said: “Her work on social justice, inclusion and challenging discrimination is something that we should all be grateful for.”

Sir Jake Berry, Rossendale and Darwen MP, said: “We may have come from different sides of the political spectrum, but I know she was proud of her Darwen origins and had a long career of public service both in the House of Lords and before.”