A memorial service will be held tonight in memory of a schoolboy who died during heavy flooding last year as his parents continue to campaign for answers surrounding his death.
Seven-year-old Zane Gbangbola was killed when his home filled with floodwater, which his parents believe was contaminated with toxic hydrogen cyanide fumes from a nearby lake built on a former landfill site.
On the anniversary of his death today, his mother Nicole Lawler and father Kye will hold a minute’s silence before setting off fireworks outside their home in Thameside, Chertsey, in Surrey – which they are still unable to return to.
They have spent the last 12 months campaigning for further investigations into their son’s death after disputing results which said it was due to carbon monoxide intoxication.
There has still yet to be an inquest into his death or a death certificate issued.
Environment Secretary Liz Truss last month ordered that Environment Agency water tests be carried out on the lake but the family believe this has yet to happen.
Mr Gbangbola told BBC Surrey: “He was a beautiful boy, very remarkable, bright and clever. He was a very loving boy who got on with all people.
“I’m just completely broken inside and outside by the events and we just hope that we will establish a position in the future which enables this not to happen in the future.
“The loss of a child is just unbearable. We should be grieving with Zane’s belongings. We shouldn’t have to have a campaign in order to correct such a social injustice of a child that was killed by a substance in his home.”
Mr Gbangbola was paralysed and is now a paraplegic as a result of the incident which killed his son, while his wife has made a full recovery.
The pair have been unable to work and have been living between the homes of friends and family.
Before Christmas Surrey Police said no criminal charges will be brought over the schoolboy’s death.
A petrol-driven pump which was used to empty the house of water during the flooding was seized from the family’s home at Thameside as part of the investigation but detectives said there was “no criminal case to answer” for the hire company which provided the equipment.
Source Article from https://uk.news.yahoo.com/remember-flood-death-boy-183025959.html
Service to remember flood death boy
No comments:
Post a Comment