Anger at ‘ghouls’ trespassing at Osbaston House
Monday 14th February 2011, 1:00PM GMT.
THE BROTHER of failed businessman Christopher Foster, who murdered his wife and daughter at his Shropshire home, today hit out at ghouls for showing a “lack of respect” by trespassing on the grounds.
Andrew Foster, the brother of Christopher, said family members had been left very distressed by the “constant” trespassing on the site of fire-gutted Osbaston House at Maesbrook, Oswestry.
And he said items as such as ouija boards were being left in the grounds, as he called for something to be done to stop people getting on to the site.
Christopher Foster, who was facing being declared bankrupt, shot his wife Jill and their 15-year-old daughter Kirstie in August 2008. He also killed the family’s pets then set fire to the house. He died himself in the blaze.
Christopher Foster, who was facing being declared bankrupt, shot his wife Jill and their 15-year-old daughter Kirstie in August 2008. He also killed the family’s pets then set fire to the house. He died himself in the blaze.
In 2009, Shropshire Council granted planning permission for the remains of the five bedroom house to be demolished to make way for a luxury home in the grounds. But the development has not yet started.
Last week, it emerged pictures of people visiting the site were appearing on the internet two-and-a-half years after the tragedy.
Mr Foster said the family had given permission for the remains of the house to be destroyed and he would be raising the issue with Birmingham-based property consultants GVA Grimley, which manages the site, today.
He said partial remains of his niece Kirstie Foster and her belongings were buried in the grounds and he believed the site should become a memorial garden.
He said: “We feel it is showing a lack of respect for the tragedy that happened there. It’s very distressing for us that there is constant trespassing. A ouija board has been left at the site by someone — something has to be done.
“The family has given permission to demolish what is left of the house and we find the whole situation very distressing.
“We do not feel it’s right that another house is built on that site. There should just be a memorial garden.”
Mr Foster said he had asked GVA Grimley to improve security at the site last year but perimeter fencing had not proved secure.
The site is currently owned by HSBC. Mr Foster said items such as woodburners and hot tubs had been stolen since the tragedy
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it just go’s to show how sick some people can be this was a very sad time for all and people should respect that lives were lost.I agree that something sould be done to STOP the trespassers entering the site.
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I am assuming Andrew Foster is referencing the “lack of respect” to just Jill, Kirstie and the animals.
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Pity for all concerned I would say , no need to be confrontational .
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Are these so called ‘ghouls’ any worse than the people that went googling to find it in the first place?
We regularly see images of the Sept 11th attacks, are the people who took those ‘ghouls’?
It seems that people are very quick to criticise I hear no cacophany about when the media put up helicopters or sneaked through hedgerows to get that ‘exclusive’ picture.
People seem to have very short and myopic memories.
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I feel desperately sorry for the indignity that the Foster family continues to endure.
However, the real “lack of respect” is from the current owners of the property (the joint receivers), anonymously hiding behind property consultants GVA Grimley in Birmingham, who have done absolutely nothing to the site, despite having full planning permission to redevelop it since 29th September 2009.
Indeed, GVA were quoted on the BBC as simply “looking into these recent reports of trespassing…”. Not our fault, Guv!
It’s high time to act upon the root cause of the problem: if the owners are unwilling or unable to redevelop the site, it should be compulsorily purchased, the existing structure demolished and cleared and then sold to a developer.
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I quite agree with Simon’s comments above. It is only human nature to be curious about such things, otherwise it wouldn’t be newsworthy.
However it should be bulldozed as soon as possible.
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So Old Salopian where is this large wedge of dosh coming from to pay for the compulsory purchase order? Close down an old-folks home, stop all subsidised travel for the elderly and schoolkids?
It is GVAs property to do with as they see fit, just because an unfortunate incident took place there does not give Joe Public the right to demand this or that is done to it. ‘Lack of respect’ is no more than an emotional state, suppose you can always try getting a mortgage yourself on the property and buy it from them?
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If it is such an issue, why not do something with the property? It leads me to think of the phrase, pot calling the kettle black. Take a look at the image which is acompanying this article… At least these ‘ghouls’ aren’t publishing them in the local news! It takes you to search ‘Osbaston House’ or something similar to see these images which the photographers took, whereas, you only have to check your local newspaper online to see it in its full glory!`
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I live close to osbaston house, and I personally think it’s disgusting how the “brother” has allowed this to go on so long, if it was my family that died in the fire I would have made sure all the personal belongings were removed from site not left to rot, if he is so concerned as he keeps stating as he did back when it happened, then how is it so many years later when you drive past the fosters home you can still see there clothes and personal belonging left to rot amongst the piles of debris in the paddocks by the road! , this I feel is the biggest lack of respect one man can show his dead family!
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Local kIds do Ouija board at tragic site! Why is this man shocked?
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So many people bad mouth urban explorers but don’t fully understand their motives.
Urban explorers – not ghouls, are purely curious people, they do not steal anything or damage anything.
They take pictures to document actual history not photoshopped or projected by the media, in the same way people read newspapers or magazines to read about stories and celebrities urban explorers are investigating building and places for themselves.
And of course not all places they go to have such horrid histories, Orbaston House should have been stripped clear or demolished a long time ago. It is my belief that it is more disrespectful to leave the place rotting in an unsecured state than taking images for everyone to see the reality of any abandoned property.
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Id like to first express my condolences, thoughts, and my love to the foster family and friends for now and moving forward into future. I am shocked and horrified that people are trespassing and stealing its horriffic. I hope that building is demolished and fast as this will put a full stop to the looting. And ghouls visits. Some people will always find a way to break in unless security is stepped up until demolishing. It is beyond me why people would want to view the ruins. Very sick. God bless foster family
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So you turned the TV off during the 9/11 disaster. You didn’t look out of respect to those dying live of TV. That’s far worse than a few kids playing with a Ouija board in a ruined mansion.
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Quite possibly the worst argument ever… They are not comparable events and to imply that they are is just arguing for arguings sake
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The place looks dangerous, I’d be more worried about kids getting hurt there.
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Humans are fascinated with the macabre, we can’t help it. I could pop to London, walk the jack the ripper trail then go to the London dungeon, etc and look at waxworks & autopsy pictures of his victims. My question to the armchair outraged above is, exactly how much time must pass before it becomes acceptable to look at this more recent case in the same way?
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i think that the media has shown far worse pictures, i mean come on they were there when the house was in flames with the bodies of the family still inside taking pictures and recording videos of it as it happened, we can not control who takes of what but the press and the media showed NO respect for the family at the time it happened.
the people who are now taking pictures can at least say there were no bodies still in the building, they are not disrespecting the family and if people think they are, like someone else has already said what about the september 11 attacks, we still see pictures of that, they even made a tv programme about it, that is disrespect, no thought was shown to the families of the people who died.
its a sad world we live in when people are so quick to judge and name people as ‘ghouls’
there is no reason why the building cant be knocked down, maybe its hsbc who need to have the finger pointed at them after all they own the site and have chosen not to do anything with it
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Those pictures and video of the house in flames were not taken by the press but the fire service themselves and passed on to the press to publish.
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so the pictures from above were taken by the fire services were they?????????? makes no difference who took them they are still alot more disrespectful than more recent pictures as the bodies were still in the house, on fire and burning.
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Time for closure in this tragic case,bring in the bulldozer and clear it all away.People are drawn to these crime scenes for a number of reasons.
The same thing happened with 25 Cromwell St until it was pulled down,life has to go on so let’s hope it pulled down soon.
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I agree with P.T & many others’ comments – I simply cannot believe why the site has not been bulldozed.
The site is not owned by the family, so their pleas of controlling the site will most likely fall on the deaf ears of the bank.
Yes, it’s wrong that people trespass and steal. One is far worse than the other for sure. I would never want to want to visit the site, but I can understand the argument for trying to understand those who lived there and the tragic events. It is the human way.
Still, the longer the ruins remain (and I’m shocked they have as long as this), the longer these issues could happen.
RIP
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