The family of a mother-of-five who died after undergoing a Brazilian butt lift has written to the Health Secretary, demanding he introduce “Alice’s Law” to regulate the cosmetic industry. Alice Webb, 33, died in September 2024 after receiving the BBL procedure from Jordan Parke, dubbed the “British Lip King”, at a salon in Gloucester.
Ms Webb, from Wotton-under-Edge, fell ill following the cosmetic treatment and was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital where she later died. Police launched a criminal investigation and a man and woman were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. The woman was later released without charge, and the investigation was continuing until Mr Parke died in February this year.
Now, Ms Webb’s sister, April Palmer, and her former partner Ben Kingscote have written to James Murray, who was appointed last week after Wes Streeting resigned, over the lack of regulation within the cosmetic industry. “We are asking for urgent Government action to strengthen regulation and to implement Alice’s Law,” Ms Palmer said.
Calls for Tighter Regulation
“Alice’s Law is very important to us as a family, as we believe it could prevent avoidable harm and spare other families the same heartbreak. We are specifically calling for liquid BBL procedures to be restricted, as a matter of urgency, to appropriately qualified surgeons only.”
“Since Alice’s death, we have been working with Save Face to press for these restrictions to be introduced in her name. We understand that the Department of Health and Social Care has been considering steps to restrict these high risk procedures, but it has now been three years since Save Face first launched their campaign.”
“Had the Government acted on those warnings when they were raised, Alice might still be with us. Every month of inaction risks further, entirely preventable fatalities. The lack of progress to date is extremely troubling, and we would welcome a clear explanation for the delay.”
Mr Kingscote, who is the father of Ms Webb’s eldest child, said he had also written to his MP Simon Opher to raise the issue. In the letter to Mr Murray, Mr Kingscote said: “I am writing to you to urge yourself and the wider Government to do more to get this stuff banned.”
Devastating Impact
“The health risks of this procedure by a non-qualified practitioner are clear and well known to the Government. Save Face have been consistently calling for a ban on BBLs for years and yet here we are over 18 months after Alice passed away and still the Government have done nothing.”
“Unfortunately, the previous health secretary Mr Streeting spent more time going on TV talking about the dangers of this procedure and warning the public against having it done by non-qualified practitioners than actually doing something to get it stopped. As a family we are disgusted at the lack of action from the Government and we are hoping that you will be different and finally take the action that is necessary to prevent further deaths.”
“All of our lives have been ripped apart, my daughter has to grow up without her mum, she had to go to her prom without her mum by her side, receive her GCSE results without her mum there to tell her how proud she is, and now she’s learning to drive without her mum there to watch her drive away for the first time. Please do not allow another family to go through this. You have the power to ban this procedure imminently if you want to, it should not have taken over 18 months without the Government doing anything.”
Inquest and Government Response
At a pre-inquest review earlier this week at Gloucestershire Coroner’s Court senior coroner Katy Skerrett said a full inquest in front of a jury would take place in the autumn. Following Ms Webb’s death, campaigners have called for the regulation of the beauty industry and for certain cosmetic procedures to be banned.
The Government has announced proposals to make sure that BBLs and other high-risk procedures are only performed by specified health workers. A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: ”Our sympathies are with Alice’s family and all those whose lives have been devastated by botched cosmetic procedures.”
“This Government is taking action to crack down on cosmetic cowboys and root out dangerous practices. Our tough new measures will ensure only qualified healthcare professionals will be able to perform the highest-risk procedures, such as the liquid Brazilian butt lift.”
“For anyone considering a cosmetic procedure, please check the provider’s qualifications and insurance – and avoid treatments that appear suspiciously cheap.”
