Firefighters have accused the Government of covering up the death of a seven-year-old schoolboy killed by toxic poisoning when his home was flooded.
Crews who recovered the body of tragic Zane Gbangbola have also joined a growing chorus of MPs and legal experts demanding an independent inquiry.
Coroner Richard Travers rejected evidence that Zane was poisoned by cyanide that seeped into the family home in Chertsey, Surrey, from a nearby former landfill site during storms in 2014.
Instead, he ruled Zane died after inhaling carbon monoxide gas from a petrol-powered pump hired by his parents to clear water from the basement.
His parents, who raised £70,000 to cover their costs for the inquest after being denied legal aid, insist the pump was not in use and that the authorities have lied about the true cause of their son’s death. The Mail on Sunday has been highlighting the case since 2014.
Now, the union representing firefighters who attended the scene has claimed crucial evidence was suppressed.
Lee Belsten, secretary of the Fire Brigades Union in Surrey, said: ‘It was our firefighters who detected hydrogen cyanide at the property and our members believe that the verdict of the coroner was highly questionable. We will expose the true events and hold to account those individuals and authorities who we believe lied and withheld crucial evidence.’
Mr Travers has been accused of failing to call key witnesses during the inquest in 2016 and of allowing evidence – including the minutes of a Government Cobra crisis meeting about Zane’s death – to be withheld.
The inquest heard how fire crews recorded readings for hydrogen cyanide inside the house and first responders detected no fumes from a petrol pump.
Experts from the Government’s defence research centre at Porton Down sealed off the property for weeks and 17 neighbours were sent for blood tests.
And doctors said the paralysis suffered by Zane’s father, Kye, was caused by hydrogen cyanide poisoning.
But Mr Travers ruled on the ‘balance of probability’ that Zane had died from a carbon monoxide level of eight per cent in his blood and that the cyanide readings may have been oxides of nitrogen in exhaust fumes from fire engines.
Zane’s mother, Nicole, said: ‘We demand an independent panel inquiry to get to the truth.’
Mr Travers did not respond to a request for comment last night. Previously, a spokesman said: ‘All relevant and available evidence was called and considered.’
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The meeting also heard from Labour frontbencher MP Sir Keir Starmer, who said: "This is such an important case on its own individual facts and what it exposes about our institutions' ability to get to the truth.
"We have got the question of whether the inquest system has the ability to really dig down to the truth in a way that gives families confidence."
Another Labour MP, Jess Phillips, said she saw "parallels" between the Gbangbolas' campaign and the long-running campaign to reopen the inquests into the deaths of the victims of the Birmingham pub bombings.
Speaking outside Parliament, Ms Phillips said: "I don't think the state has the provision to allow ordinary citizens to get justice.
"What I hope is proven is there hasn't been a cover up, but I feel the state covers its back all the time."
Mr Gbangbola told the meeting he and his wife would continue to ask for an independent inquiry "until such time as circumstances may change to allow that to happen" and called on the public to sign a petition supporting their campaign.
GetSurrey article here
Also see short video from Holly Droy, That'sTV Surrey
Crews who recovered the body of tragic Zane Gbangbola have also joined a growing chorus of MPs and legal experts demanding an independent inquiry.
Coroner Richard Travers rejected evidence that Zane was poisoned by cyanide that seeped into the family home in Chertsey, Surrey, from a nearby former landfill site during storms in 2014.
Instead, he ruled Zane died after inhaling carbon monoxide gas from a petrol-powered pump hired by his parents to clear water from the basement.
His parents, who raised £70,000 to cover their costs for the inquest after being denied legal aid, insist the pump was not in use and that the authorities have lied about the true cause of their son’s death. The Mail on Sunday has been highlighting the case since 2014.
Now, the union representing firefighters who attended the scene has claimed crucial evidence was suppressed.
Lee Belsten, secretary of the Fire Brigades Union in Surrey, said: ‘It was our firefighters who detected hydrogen cyanide at the property and our members believe that the verdict of the coroner was highly questionable. We will expose the true events and hold to account those individuals and authorities who we believe lied and withheld crucial evidence.’
Mr Travers has been accused of failing to call key witnesses during the inquest in 2016 and of allowing evidence – including the minutes of a Government Cobra crisis meeting about Zane’s death – to be withheld.
The inquest heard how fire crews recorded readings for hydrogen cyanide inside the house and first responders detected no fumes from a petrol pump.
Experts from the Government’s defence research centre at Porton Down sealed off the property for weeks and 17 neighbours were sent for blood tests.
And doctors said the paralysis suffered by Zane’s father, Kye, was caused by hydrogen cyanide poisoning.
But Mr Travers ruled on the ‘balance of probability’ that Zane had died from a carbon monoxide level of eight per cent in his blood and that the cyanide readings may have been oxides of nitrogen in exhaust fumes from fire engines.
Zane’s mother, Nicole, said: ‘We demand an independent panel inquiry to get to the truth.’
Mr Travers did not respond to a request for comment last night. Previously, a spokesman said: ‘All relevant and available evidence was called and considered.’
Read original article here
The meeting also heard from Labour frontbencher MP Sir Keir Starmer, who said: "This is such an important case on its own individual facts and what it exposes about our institutions' ability to get to the truth.
"We have got the question of whether the inquest system has the ability to really dig down to the truth in a way that gives families confidence."
Another Labour MP, Jess Phillips, said she saw "parallels" between the Gbangbolas' campaign and the long-running campaign to reopen the inquests into the deaths of the victims of the Birmingham pub bombings.
Speaking outside Parliament, Ms Phillips said: "I don't think the state has the provision to allow ordinary citizens to get justice.
"What I hope is proven is there hasn't been a cover up, but I feel the state covers its back all the time."
Mr Gbangbola told the meeting he and his wife would continue to ask for an independent inquiry "until such time as circumstances may change to allow that to happen" and called on the public to sign a petition supporting their campaign.
GetSurrey article here
Also see short video from Holly Droy, That'sTV Surrey
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