The Lib Dem leader in waiting... and tragedy of secretary who died in stairs plunge: Tim Farron is criticised over the way he ran the office where Jennifer Kerr had been employed 

• Jennifer Kerr, 29, died in 2001 after falling down a flight of stairs at home
• Police investigated whether her fall was linked to 'distress' caused by working in Tim Farron's office  
• Her stepfather says 'the people around' Mr Farron made life difficult for her
• Mr Farron's allies claim it's a last-ditch attempt to stop him from winning

By GLEN OWEN and ROSS SLATER FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY

PUBLISHED: 21:42 GMT, 4 July 2015 | UPDATED: 23:07 GMT, 4 July 2015

The death of a secretary who once worked for Tim Farron returned to haunt the Liberal Democrat leadership favourite last night after the girl’s father spoke out about the case for the first time.

Details of the death of 29-year-old Jennifer Kerr – who fell down a flight of stairs at the Lake District country house where she lived after a night out drinking – have emerged two weeks before Mr Farron is expected to become his party’s new leader.

At the time of her death in August 2001, Miss Kerr had recently finished working in Mr Farron’s Cumbrian constituency office.

After sources told The Mail On Sunday that police had investigated whether her fall was linked to ‘distress’ caused by working in Mr Farron’s office, this newspaper approached her stepfather, Donald.

Dailymail