'Devastated' family of Benedict Blythe (5) label report into his death following allergic reaction at Peterborough school as 'missed opportunity'
The family of Benedict Blythe (5), who died from an allergic reaction suffered at a school close to Peterborough, have been left ‘devastated’ at a report into his death.
Benedict Blythe was just five when he passed away on December 1, 2021 after suffering a fatal anaphylaxis while at Barnack Primary School. Benedict was rushed to hospital but later passed away later that afternoon.
An inquest in July 2025 found that Benedict’s death came as a result of accidental exposure to cow’s milk, one of his known allergens.
The inquest also found that among the probable causes of Benedict’s death were the delayed administration of his Adrenaline Auto Injector (EpiPen/adrenaline pen) and opportunities for cross-contamination relating to the storage of his bottle at school.
On Tuesday (December 2), District Coroner Elizabeth Gray published her Prevention of future deaths report. In the report, she outlined concerns into the investigation of Benedict’s death, including the failure to preserve Benedict’s vomit and other evidence at the scene, which delayed the identification of what caused the reaction.
Initial tests during the inquest process focused on a McVitie’s plain digestive that Benedict brought into school and was given by the school shortly before he collapsed but this was found not to be the cause.
Benedict’s family have criticised the report for focusing solely on action taken before his death, rather than addressing earlier failings.
A family statement said: “It is devastating that the Prevention of Future Deaths report has focused on what happened after our son’s death, instead of addressing the clear failings we believe happened at the school, that the jury identified as contributing to it.
“Highlighting those errors is what could genuinely help protect future children in school. The jury found serious issues: staff were not told about his allergic symptoms, established safety processes weren’t followed, too many people were involved in preparing his care, and vital medication was given to him far too late to save his life.
“Instead, the spotlight has been placed on post-event actions, reflecting the chaotic way the investigation unfolded—an investigation that fixated on a biscuit, even though evidence showed very early on that it could not have been the cause.
"For the PFD to overlook the systemic failures that happened before and during the incident is a profound missed opportunity. If we truly want to prevent future deaths, the focus must be on the mistakes that should have kept our son safe and that they should not happen again.”
Following Benedict’s death, his family founded the Benedict Blythe Foundation, which works to improve allergy safety in schools, raise awareness of anaphylaxis, and advocate for systemic change.
Central to this work is the campaign for Benedict’s Law — a proposed legal requirement for every school to have allergy pens, allergy policy and allergy training.
A public petition calling for Benedict’s Law gained 14,000 signatures in July, prompting the Department for Education to commit to bringing forward proposals addressing these measures before Christmas 2025.