Join us to discuss the failure of the British legal system to secure justice for Zane, in the face of political pressures and cover-ups.
About this eventIn 2014, the failure to properly investigate and regulate contaminated landfill and the presence of dangerous chemicals by the Government resulted in the tragic death of 7-year-old Zane. Join us to discuss the failure of the British legal system to secure justice for Zane and his family, in the face of political pressures and cover-ups.
Speakers
We will be joined by Zane’s parents discussing their ongoing struggle for an Independent Panel Inquiry into his death as well as Deborah Coles, executive director of Inquest, reflecting on access to truth, justice and accountability in 2022.

ONLINE ZOOM EVENT
Date: Thurs 4 August 
6.30pm-8.30pm
Register here >> 

Zane's parent will be speaking alongside other grieving families and advocates, MP's and campaigners at the launch of "Hillsborough Law Now" https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hillsborough-law-now-tickets-383477370137?aff=estw&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-source=tw&utm-term=listing… PLEASE READ HILLSBOROUGH LAW NOW CAMPAIGN Tuesday 19th July 2022 PLEASE NOTE: THAT DUE TO THE SEVERE WEATHER WARNING AND THE CLOSURE OF PORTCULLIS HOUSE THE HILLSBOROUGH LAW NOW WILL NOW TAKE PLACE ONLINE 18:00 -19:00

Natalie Bennett is a Green Party peer and a Contributing Editor to Left Foot Forward
Some families who’ve lost a loved one under awful circumstances, highly commendably, seek to ensure that no one else will have to suffer as they’ve suffered. It’s an impulse that’s given us important legal provisions, from Natasha’s law, about the labelling of allergens in pre-packed food, to Helen’s law, which demands that murderers cooperate with the authorities over finding their victim’s bodies before they can get parole.
And it is what’s driven the campaign for Zane’s Law – starting out its parliamentary progress yesterday as an amendment to the Building Safety Bill.
It is named after Zane Gbangbola, for whom was also founded the Truth About Zane campaign, which is still working, with support ranging from that of Sir Keir Starmer and Andy Burnham to the FBU and the CWU, to Conservative-controlled Spelthorne Borough Council. It’s a campaign to get on the record the truth about the seven-year-old’s death in Chertsey in 2014, when floods swept hideously toxic hydrogen cyanide into the family home. That’s not what the inquest verdict included in 2016 – but the inequality of arms and the illogic of that verdict – is something the campaign continues to fight on to correct.
But last year, Zane’s parents, Kye and Nicole, and their supporters took up an even broader issue – the question of why it was that they, and the rest of the community, had no knowledge of the danger of the historic landfill site near their home. They launched the campaign at Green Party conference, and took it to COP26, where Jeremy Corbyn and I talked to the family at a public event that became a podcast.
For what happened to Zane (and his father Kye – who was left paralysed by the hydrogen cyanide) could awfully, terribly easily happen to another family, or whole community.
The issue goes back to 1974, when the Control of Pollution Act first took control over waste disposal, but before that came into effect, many dumps were quietly closed, and since pretty well forgotten, as campaigner Paul Mobbs explains in a disturbing video.
EU regulations on waste and pollution required the tightening of those controls under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Section 143, bringing in an obligation on local authorities to investigate their areas and draw up “public registers of land that may be contaminated”. Section 61 gave local waste authorities powers to inspect closed landfills and clean them up if necessary.
But lots of new housing developments, in particular, are on old landfill sites. Under pressure, the government held three consultations on contaminated landfill registers from 1991 to 1993, eventually deciding that Section 143 would not be enacted, and all plans for public registers of contaminated sites would be dropped. The explanation given was cost, and desire not to place “new regulatory burdens on the private sector”.
Limited powers were brought in in 1995 – although not coming into force until 2000 – that meant often when developers found contamination problems, public authorities had to pay.
But it got worse In 2012, as part of the Cameron government’s “bonfire of red tape”, to reduce the statutory burdens, the right of enforcement authorities to use the law was further reduced – the emphasis being on “voluntary” cleanup, with no real power to check it has been done.
The initial draft of Zane’s Law is simple. It demands that local authorities assess the risk posed by land contamination to building safety. That’s essentially taking us back to the provision of 1990, although of course it is not that simple, so there’s a second amendment, calling for the government to publish a review examining the issue of land contamination and its impact on building safety.
The focus on buildings is because it has to fit within the scope of this Bill – ideally in future it should also cover playgrounds, farmland, and any other usage. And even just on buildings, it is picking up a crucial issue. It is evident that there’s a great risk at potential locations of new homes right around the country, from Carlisle to Cambridge, Dudley to Newbury.
But there’s also the issue of the climate emergency, new extremes of weather, particularly floods, but also heatwaves, that cause events such as that which tragically claimed young Zane’s life more likely.
To identify the size and scale of the problem, in every local authority in the land, has to be the starting point to fixing it, and preventing future risk to life.
Link to the Hansard >> 

Please listen to our interview with Jeremy Corbyn and Natalie Bennett as we call for Zane’s Law. 
Today is all about love and no child was ever loved more than Zane. We will not stop until we have the TruthAboutZane ❤️ 
​
The Peace & Justice Project presents…

The Peace & Justice Podcast ‘Episode 1: The Truth About Zane’.

Join us for part one of our new six part podcast series, The Peace & Justice Podcast, hosted by Jeremy Corbyn.

Recorded as part of our Alternative COP26 at Websters Theatre in Glasgow in November, Jeremy meets with Nicole and Kye Gbangbola and former leader of the Green Party Natalie Bennett, to discuss the Truth About Zane campaign (truthaboutzane.com) and their fight for justice for their son who died from suspected hydrogen cyanide poisoning after flooding at a landfill site near their Surrey home in 2014.

Recorded at Websters Theatre in Glasgow

Theme by Jake Thomas

Andy Burnham said he remembered meeting Zane's mummy in Parliament and said "we were with you then, we are with you now and we will be with you always!"
You can watch our contribution here if you don’t have time to watch the full video on the above link. 

We are beyond proud and moved to announce that at COP26 we launched Zane’s Law aiming to close loopholes in Environmental Protection Act 2010 on registration of landfills. A law that protects our children now, & in the future, from the dangers of landfill & climatic change. The Green Party announce the pursuit of Zane's Law at COP26 Peace and Justice Project.  #ZanesLaw

A council is seeking information from the Ministry of Defence over claims chemicals were dumped on land behind a house where a seven-year-old boy died.
Zane Gbangbola's parents say he died from gases washed out of a tip during flooding in 2014.
In 2020, a MoD whistleblower told the BBC that subcontractors working for a tank base dumped chemicals on land in Chertsey, including behind Zane's home.

The MoD has not yet commented to the BBC on Spelthorne council's request.
The request for information is part of preparatory work by officers after councillors agreed tests should take place on the land.
Officers said the council would request information from the MoD next week.
Zane's parents, Kye Gbangbola and Nicole Lawler, dispute inquest findings from 2016 that their son died from carbon monoxide from a pump used to clear flood water. 
They have always said the pump was not in use.
They have obtained Public Health England documents showing hydrogen cyanide was detected in their home.
In a report to go before councillors on Wednesday, officers said specialist legal advice had been sought on how the authority could test the land.
Officers also said they submitted a freedom of information request to the Environment Agency in October because the inquest evidence on waste permits was unclear.
They said potential new information since the inquest included claims made to the BBC by a former MoD engineer, who asked to remain anonymous.
The whistleblower claimed subcontractors working for the tank research facility five miles from the house used to dump waste chemicals in local gravel pits.
The MoD previously told the BBC it would not comment on the whistleblower's claims unless formal allegations were made.
Next steps could include an update to an earlier desktop study that assessed the land and then site investigation, the report said.
However, Zane's father, who is attending the COP26 climate conference, said officers made "no mention of the further increased risks to people and the environment as the climate changes".
Mr Gbangbola, who has previously called for tests on the land to be carried out independently, also drew attention to another incident at Denman Drive in 2009-11 where the council had taken remedial action.
He said: "At Denman, it only took a stain on a child's dress to investigate and cyanide was found."

Listen to Zane's father on Radio Surrey with Danny Pike 

Investigations at a former landfill site behind a house where a seven-year-old boy died are to take place as soon as possible, councillors have said.
Zane Gbangbola died during floods in 2014 - his parents say he was killed by hydrogen cyanide washed out of the tip.
Now Spelthorne council's environment and sustainability committee has voted to take action at the site in Chertsey.
Committee chairman Ian Beardsmore said tests had not been carried out and it was "the right thing to do".
An inquest ruled Zane's death was an accident caused by carbon monoxide poisoning from a petrol pump brought in by his family to get rid of floodwater.
However, his parents Kye Gbangbola and Nicole Lawler always disputed the findings and said the pump was never in use.
Mr Gbangbola, who was paralysed in the incident, and Ms Lawler have now obtained Public Health England (PHE) papers backing their claims.
The papers, released to the family under a Freedom of Information request, include one document stating: "The house had three generators (1 x petrol, not operating, and 2 electric 1 of which was operating) in basement."
The document also said fire service testing detected no carbon monoxide.
A further note said firefighters confirmed "three hits" in the property for "hydrogen cyanide".
It said long-term exposure to the gas could cause cardiac arrest, adding: "The property has been flooded for the last 6-7 weeks with the family continuing to live in it - the [redaction] has been trying to pump out the basement and garden and the son has been in the flood water and garden."
Mr Gbangbola has told the BBC that his son never lived in the flooded areas of the home and only the basement was flooded. He said: "All habitable areas were dry and clean."
'Tests must be independent'Circulating the documents to the committee, Mr Beardsmore called for a report before 9 November stating how the authority would act in examining the site.
He said: "This is not ifs, buts or maybe, but how and when."
He said it needed to be decided whether action could be taken under emergency planning, contaminated land or health and safety legislation.
The committee voted unanimously in favour of action, but Mr Gbangbola said afterwards: "The tests must be comprehensive and done independently."
He also appealed to anyone with information to contact the BBC, adding: "Just do the right thing and tell the truth as you would expect others to do had your child been killed."
PHE said its staff, including the Porton Down-based Emergency Response Department, supported the 2013-14 flood response, and it later provided written evidence to the inquest.
It said Dr John Thompson from the PHE-commissioned National Poisons Information Service gave his expert opinion.
A spokesman for the coroner said: "An independent, full, frank and fearless inquest into the death of Zane Gbangbola was concluded in September 2016. 
"The coroner's detailed explanation of his findings and conclusion has been available since the end of the inquest."
Mr Gbangbola said PHE were not present at the inquest, but "totally absent". He called for an explanation from the coroner.
Original BBC article by Tanya Gupta

​AS IT EMERGES SPELTHORNE BOROUGH COUNCIL WANTS TO INVESTIGATE THE FORMER LANDFILL SITE IN CHERTSEY WHERE ZANE GBANGBOLA DIED, LUCY MAYER TALKS TO HIS MOTHER NICOLE.